Harry Potter and the Time of Second Chances
by Neville James
Summary: A sixth year tale filled with new surprises for the trio. The heirs will be discovered and the new defense professor has a curious last name. There's something a little bit off about one of the new students as well. Filled with adventure and Time travel,
1. Different Dudley, New Nightmare

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A/N This is my first fic, so please let me kow what you think of it. I'm trying to stay true to canon, but I want to twist the plot a bit. I realize my chapters are quite long, but if you do get through them please take a second to leave a review. It would really help me keep going. Thanks everyone!

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**Chapter 1: Different Dudley, New Nightmare**

A shrill scream from the kitchen of Four Privet Drive was the first sound to meet Harry Potter's ears on his first day of summer holidays. Harry had intended to sleep in his first morning home from school, if he could call this place his home, but instead the high-pitched screech of his horse-faced aunt Petunia woke him from his slumber.

He opened his eyes drearily and looked around the room to see what could possibly have been the matter, but he found that nothing was in focus and rubbed his eyes to try and see better. Realising the problem, Harry reached across his bed with a pale fumbling hand and grabbed his thin-framed glasses from the bedside table. Placing the glasses on his face, the room instantly cleared of the blind haze that once surrounded it. He immediately started scanning the room to see what he might have done to offend aunt Petunia, but then again the Dursleys never really needed a reason to despise him.

His search was abruptly cut off by another shout, but this time a frighteningly low growling voice.

'GET DOWN HERE BOY!' Uncle Vernon's voice rushed up the stairs to the meet the fifteen-year-old boy who as of yet did not know what he had done wrong.

Harry's eyes darted around the room one last time and landed on Hedwig's open golden cage.

'Oh no!' he muttered to himself as he grabbed a pair of joggers and ran down the stairs to try and save his owl from whatever torment the Dursley's had surely made her suffer. He ran down the stairs jumping three at a time, ignoring the squeaking banister and forgetting to duck at the end of the staircase. WHACK!

Harry fell backwards and landed hard on his shoulder as he threw his arms around, grabbing for something to soften the fall. He looked up from the hard hallway floor to see his uncle's robust form waddling as quickly as it could towards him.

'Get up off the floor you lazy boy, always lounging everywhere!' Vernon said as though his nephew was not within earshot.

'I fell down uncle Vernon,' Harry spat at him, anger evident in his bright green eyes, as he held the growing welt on his forehead.

'What are you holding your head for? Worried what's left in there might spill out?' Vernon laughed an unusually high laugh at his own joke, clearly pleased by the reaction he was getting from his despised nephew.

Harry, used to his uncle's constantly lame jokes about his intelligence, normally would have let it go unnoticed, and not given him the satisfaction of a reaction. Although this morning, he had been rudely awoken by his screaming aunt and bashed his head on the plaster above the stairs; not exactly incentive to think straight.

'No uncle Vernon, I'm trying to cover my eyes so that your ugly face isn't the first thing I have to see in the morning.' Harry regretted this the moment it came out of his mouth.

Vernon's fat purple face became darker by the second and he lunged forward grabbing Harry's ear between his sausage like fingers and pulling him forward.

'Now you listen to me boy. Your ruddy kind might allow that sort of ungrateful talk, but in this house you will respect myself, your aunt Petunia and your cousin Dudley. Do I make myself clear,' Vernon shouted in Harry's face so closely that spittle rained down onto it.

Wanting to escape from his uncle's sweaty clutch and his disgustingly putrid breath, Harry nodded quickly and pulled himself free of his uncle's grasp to wipe his face off. After a final glare in his uncle's direction, Harry strode into the kitchen ignoring the throbbing pain in his forehead and looking around for his pet owl.

He immediately spotted her, as it would have been difficult to miss: she was perched on the butter dish in the center of the dinner table, nibbling bacon off of aunt Petunia's breakfast plate. His aunt looked on in disgust from behind the kitchen counter where she couldn't be touched by the foul creature, while Dudley held his ground at the table, stuffing as much food into his mouth as he could.

'Look at what your filthy creature has done!' Petunia shrieked through abnormally pronounced, gritted teeth. She pointed a long, bony finger at Hedwig and cringed as the owl dipped its head down for another snippet of bacon. Vernon walked into the room and stood behind Petunia, his face fat and blotchy.

'If you don't get that ruddy beast out of our kitchen this instant, I will lock it in its cage forever!' he threatened, opening a drawer and pulling out a padlock for Harry to see.

Harry rushed forward, intending to grab Hedwig and bring her to safety, but stubbed his foot on the back of Dudley's chair and stumbled forward. Dudley, thinking that Harry was about to knick something from his plate, took a swing at him and sent a jug of orange juice spilling across the table and toward the neatly preened owl.

Not wanting to set talons in the sticky substance, Hedwig jumped across the table knocking all the trays of breakfast around the floor and finally spread her wings to set off. Harry lunged forward to try and stop her but he wasn't quick enough, as she set off over Petunia's head and out the opened kitchen window into the cool backyard.

'It tried to attack me!' Petunia shrieked, wide eyed and terrified 'Did you see it Vernon, it nearly pecked out my eyes,' she sobbed into her burly husband's chest, while he tried to comfort her. Vernon looked up at his nephew through thoughtful eyes, and Harry knew that whatever it was he was planning it couldn't be good.

'Boy, go and get your school things from your room and bring them down here this instant!' he said in a low tone as though daring Harry to challenge him. Not wanting to lose control of his accidental magic, Harry turned quickly and walked out of what seemed to him like a lowered kitchen doorway.

He walked up the creaking stairs, not bothering to avoid the ones he knew made noise, and entered the first door on the right hand side of the hallway. His small dark room did not possess much furniture and contained even less personal belongings as he never received gifts from the Dursleys, and only received them from his friends during the school year or on his birthday. Besides, the few treasured items he got from his friends were more or less magical and were not tolerated by the Dursley's, therefore were kept hidden in his trunk.

Harry looked around the room once again quickly, knowing that he wouldn't find any of his 'school stuff' in the open, other than Hedwig's cage that remained on the top of his only bureau. He slumped past his desk and leaned down at the foot of his bed to grab his school trunk, which still laid unpacked from his fifth year at Hogwarts.

This was terrible. How was he supposed to do his summer assignments if his trunk was locked up again for the summer? Professor Snape would show no mercy.

'Hurry up boy!' Vernon shouted up the stairs, the irritation evident in his voice. 'Don't make me come up there.'

Harry quickly opened the top of his trunk and rifled past the books on top to find the most important item inside. He dug deep and reached around until finally he felt his fingers wrap around the slender piece of holly. Pulling his wand out of the trunk, he snapped the top back down and clicked the buckles closed, before rushing over to his bedside. There he got down on his knees and pulled up the fourth floorboard from the wall to reveal a tiny hollow containing a small tin canister. He opened it quickly a placed his wand on top of some old birthday cards he had received from Ron and Hermione.

While he could survive without his textbooks and invisibility cloak, Harry knew that he must notrisk being completely defenseless and without wand. Too many life or death situations presented themselves to Harry for him to be found unprotected. Snapping the floorboard back in place, Harry grabbed one of the handles to his trunk and began dragging it to the top of the staircase, trying his hardest not to bang into any of aunt Petunia's collectibles sitting in cabinets lined along the hallway.

Harry was sweating more than his uncle did regularly, and by the time he reached the bottom of the staircase with the heavy supplies, his T-shirt was clinging to his back. Vernon stood waiting with lock and key outside the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard in which Harry had spent the first eleven years of his life sleeping and being punished.

The thought of the damp dark space, and the dirty spider infested mattress, made Harry cringe as he brought his trunk over to his uncle. Harry watched as the large man before him carefully opened the trunk's latches and slowly lifted the top to peer inside. Petunia had appeared at the doorway and was watching intently as her husband delved into her nephew's privacy while he was forced to watch in silence. Vernon looked up at Harry with a warning glance and asked him about the trunk.

'You haven't set anything funny in here have you? Nothing out of the ordinary will happen if I poke around will it?' he asked, not taking his eyes off the trunk's contents.

'Of course not,' Harry answered reluctantly, wishing now that he had set some Filibuster Fireworks to go off if opened by anyone but him.

Vernon carefully reached a stubby hand into the trunk and shoved some of the books around, carefully counting the contents. Harry almost said something when his uncle's grubby fingers pulled a shiny silver cloak made of a flowing material from the bottom of the trunk. Luckily, he had no clue what it was and discarded it to the side commenting on it as being Harry's pretty silver dress.

Just as uncle Vernon was about to close the lid again, he spotted something that clearly piqued his interest. Putting on a smug expression, he reached into the trunk and pulled out an old pair of his grey wool socks.

'Now isn't this interesting Petunia,' he said holding the socks up for her to see. She turned her nose up at the old socks, wanting nothing to do with the ragged things. 'I believe we gave these to our dear nephew several years ago as a Christmas present. Isn't it touching to see that he holds them so dear as to have kept them in here all these years,' he finished with a smirk spreading across his face and a hand on his heart, making Harry look away in disgust.

'And he says we never give him anything, or treat him right,' aunt Petunia added, now also smirking in Harry's direction, her horsy teeth daring to jump out of her mouth.

'I only kept that sad excuse of a gift to muffle the sound of a -' he started to say but then stopped realising that he would be punished for saying the name of a magical device in the presence of his aunt and uncle.

'Go on then.' Vernon prodded Harry hard in the ribs, 'What is it you're hiding in here,' he asked as he poked his fingers into the bundled socks and pulled out a small round device. Harry began to warn him against it, but it was too late. A low humming sound escaped from the contraption as it began to spin wildly in Vernon's hand, making him instantly drop it and the socks to the floor.

The whirring noise continued to rise in volume and pitch as the small object whirred across the floor at their feet. Harry had to suppress a laugh at the look on his uncle's face. The feeling to laugh soon evaporated as uncle Vernon's bewildered face became blotchier than before and darkened with rage to a shade of puce that would have made a blackberry jealous.

'YOU SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE NO FUNNY BUSINESS!' he shouted, spit shooting all over the place.

'I'd forgotten all about it uncle Vernon, I swear it,' Harry said, wringing his hands nervously before reaching out quickly to pick up the tiny defense system and stuff it back into its home in the centre of his uncle's old socks.

'What was that confounded contraption?' Vernon asked the boy standing in front of him, having calmed down slightly to a proud purple.

'It's a -'

' -sneakoscope,' Petunia interjected, 'It spins like mad and makes a loud humming noise whenever danger is near.' At this she shifted her eyes around the room quickly and looked all around behind her. 'Are we in danger Harry?' she asked, 'Are there Death Eaters nearby, or could it be Voldemort himself?'

She shuddered suddenly in what looked to Harry like fear, and once again covered her mouth with a pale bony hand as she looked around.

Harry stood open-mouthed, gaping at his aunt. Did he just hear her correctly, or was he imagining it. The words sneakoscope, Death Eaters and Voldemort could not have just come out of her mouth. Where could she have learned about dark Wizard alarms and the cowled minions of the Dark Lord?

Last year she had reacted in the same fearful way at the mention of Voldemort, but he didn't understand why she would be so quick to mention him.

'What did you just say?' Harry quietly asked his aunt, looking from her searching figure to the wide-eyed gaping expression on his uncle's face.

'You heard me boy, now answer me,' Petunia's shrill voice cut through the silence as she fixed her wandering glare onto him. 'Have they come to get you? Is HE here?' she repeated more urgently this time.

'No, of course not,' Harry answered his aunt, and then watched her figure relax slightly as relief flooded her body. 'You know they can't get me here,' he added, 'I'm protected, remember?'

Vernon remained still, only opening and closing his mouth like a fish, no sound escaping as he stared in shock at his wife.

'Oh, close your mouth Vernon. You heard the boy, we're safe, no need to worry,' she stated plainly and walked out of the room as though nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred in the hallway of number Four Privet Drive.

It took Vernon Dursley several minutes to return from his catatonic state, but when he did it was as though nothing had happened. He slammed the lid to the trunk shut and locked the clasps tightly, ensuring that nothing abnormal would get out. He then proceeded to open the cupboard behind him and ram the trunk and all of its contents inside.

He pushed and shoved with all his might, as Harry watched from the doorway with crossed arms. Harry started to smile slightly and laughed inwardly as beads of sweat dripped down his uncle's forehead and his tidy grey hair became a ruffled mess. Several labour intensive minutes later the trunk was stored in it's new summer resting place, and the cupboard door was locked with the click of a key.

Vernon was tired from the immense effort of putting the darned trunk away, and was puzzled by the difficulty he had in doing so. It was almost as though the trunk was pushing back and refusing to go into the dark hiding place. Despite being tired out and slightly worse for wear, Vernon was pleased with himself for having taken away his nephew's few cherished items.

'Now I've told Dudley to keep a close watch on you, to make sure you're not up to any funny business around this cupboard. I've counted all of the items in that blasted trunk and if you even try to get your filthy hands on any of your rubbish, there will be severe consequences,' he said shaking a fat purple finger warningly in Harry's face. 'And where has that ruddy owl of yours got to now?'

'She's probably out in the backyard, perched peacefully in a tree and minding her own business,' Harry answered truthfully, wanting to get this over with so he could go on with spending his summer holidays miserably.

'Right, that's what you'd like us to think. The ugly thing's surely gone off to warn your freaky friends that we've been terrible to you or some other dreadful lie. Petunia and I welcomed you into our home and have given you so much out of the kindness of our hearts, and in return all you offer is disappointment.'

Vernon stepped closer to Harry, fixing his eyes into an accusing glare before continuing. Harry looked around for an excuse to get away, hoping that something would help to free him from the torment of his uncle's lecture and insults.

'After all we've given you, you still send that ruddy creature with letters full of lies to those freaks you call friends and that good for nothing convict of a Godfather.'

'DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HIM!' Harry screamed, all of a sudden unable to control his emotions, the rage pouring from him towards his uncle. 'DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY GODFATHER! HE'S MY ONLY REAL FAMILY, NOT YOU!'

The air in the hallway began the crackle and the lights began to flicker as the potential for magic rushed around the house. Petunia and Dudley walked into the hallway to see what the shouting was about and stopped dead in their tracks at the sight before them. Petunia gasped and covered her mouth with a bony hand as she looked on.

Harry stood in front of Vernon, seemingly taller than before and his already unruly hair rushed in an unfelt wind as the shadows cast from the flickering lights danced and swirled in an increasingly quick circle around the fifteen-year-old boy. Harry's eye's narrowed and the usual sparkling emeralds darkened to a forest as he clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists at his sides.

'I'VE SAT AROUND FOR YEARS AND DONE NOTHING WHILE YOU INSULTED ME, MY MOTHER, MY FATHER, AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS. WELL NOT ANY MORE. THEY HAVE WARNED YOU AND NOW I AM WARNING YOU, YOU WILL TREAT ME PROPERLY AND YOU WILL NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER, SPEAK OF SIRIUS AGAIN!'

Two nearby lights on the wall shattered, littering the gathered family with shards of glass and causing them all to jump. Harry Started toward the kitchen and the Dursleys all pressed themselves tightly against the wall so not to touch him as he passed. The instant he left the hallway and walked out the kitchen door into the backyard, the wind disappeared and all the lights, save for the ones that shattered, returned to normal.

'M-mm-master,' a tiny voice stammered from the doorway of a malevolently dark room. 'The others have just returned.'

The squat figure sunk back toward the doorway slightly, clearly afraid as he waited for his master's response.

'And ... did they bring me what I asked for?' a second voice hissed coldly from the shadows, carrying with it the intense cold of a winter's wind.

Shaking and stammering more than usual, the squat shape of Peter Pettigrew lowered his head to his master before delivering his news.

'N-nno m-my Lord, they were not able to p-penetrate the p-protection left by Lily-'

'DON'T YOU SPEAK HER NAME!' Voldemort's chilling voice rang from his shadowy hiding place, and a shadow seemed to slip away from the rest, toward the quivering servant.

Two glowing red eyes traveled closer to the twitchy balding man and made him shake even further.

'You speak, Wormtail as though you still had feelings for that filthy mudblood woman, which leads me to believe that those feelings must extend to her son as well.'

Voldemort's bony figure loomed over Wormtail's cowering body as he lifted a pale bony hand to punish his follower.

'N-no please my Lord,' Wormtail stammered, 'I am only loyal to you. I d-do not know why I used that filth's name, and I assure you that the boy means nothing to me. If it weren't for your n-needing him, I would take p-pleasure in killing him myself,' he finished, looking up at his master with fearful eyes.

Voldemort's cruel high-pitched laughter filled the room as he lifted his wand in Pettigrew's direction, and said with a tinge of pleasure from beneath his cowl, 'All the same, CRUCIO!'

'Noooooo!' Harry woke up in a panic and sat bolt upright, throwing his hands to the searing pain in his forehead. Yelping again, he pulled his hands away quickly, feeling the white-hot sensation burning his unmarred flesh. His scar had never reacted quite like this before; he was not sure what to do. As the pain slowly ebbed away, Harry looked around him to see where he was, and why he was sitting on the cold ground.

The scene surrounding him was one of warmth and cheer. The sun was shining brilliantly from it's perch in the mid-afternoon sky, where it rested untouched by the few clouds that danced though the powder blue sky. Harry scuttled backward a bit so that his back rested upon the trunk of a large oak tree in the Dursley's back yard, and he was bathed in cool shadow offered by the outstretched branches overhead.

Listening to the cheerful chirping of the birds in their haven among the top most branches, Harry let his eyes wander over the landscape before him while he calmed himself. The back of the Dursley's two-story townhouse was in just as pristine a condition as the front of it. The paint was perfect, as were the angles of the shutters. The lawn in the backyard was cut evenly and trimmed along the edges of the numerous well-placed gardens that followed the walking path through the tiny property.

Each of the gardens contained several bloomed specimens used as Petunia's claim to fame. She tried so hard every year to win the blue ribbon at the garden show for their neighbourhood, but never surpassed the second place. Nonetheless she doubled her efforts every year, hoping that she might be made president of her block's garden club, resulting in a more splendorous garden each year.

A five foot white picket fence stood guard around the Dursley residence, giving the illusion of security and privacy, when really it just allowed Harry's aunt the opportunity to work in her garden and speak aloud so to gloat to the neighbours as she pretended they could not see her. Looking to his left he saw the Wilson's dog Sparty poking his head through one of the slots and nipping at some of the brilliantly purple violets nearest to him.

Harry's face hardened as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes to think about what had just happened. This was not good, not good at all. He had let Voldemort into his mind again, without any resistance whatsoever. Who knew what the monster could have claimed as his own while he roamed through the intricate pathways that were Harry's private thoughts and feelings. Why was he so weak!

Twisting his fingers in the grass at his side in frustration, Harry pulled hard and removed a clump of grass before sending it sailing over the fence and sending Sparty trotting over to inspect it. And what had that dream meant. Why was Voldemort so concerned with Wormtail's feelings for his mother? Everyone knew how much he had despised her even when he had still been friends with the other Marauders. And why would Voldemort try and get Harry during the summer while he resided within the walls that offered him the protection of a mother's love? It didn't make sense at all.

Harry tried his best to remember all the sinister details of his invasive dream, so that he could later relay it to Dumbledore or one of the other members of the Order. He suddenly realised that at some point this summer he would be removed from the care of his aunt and uncle and returned to the dark Black Manor that served as Headquarters for the Order of The Phoenix.

Harry sighed and closed his eyes trying not to think of his late Godfather, his image almost constantly tugging at the back of his mind serving as a constant reminder of what he had lost. Harry was still being tormented in his dreams by the death of Sirius Black almost every night, despite his efforts to clear his mind. Harry understood the importance of Dumbledore's warnings about Occlumency. Although he was not able to practice the art during the summer, he could practice clearing his mind in order to prevent Voldemort from entering his mind during the late hours of the night, and learning valuable information about the Order. This was the first time in a month that Voldemort had broken through the barriers set by Harry for his thoughts, but that he thought was far too often.

Pulling a strand of his unruly black hair out of his eyes, Harry opened them, and brought his mind back to the present, where he could contemplate his new dilemma. He had used magic once again outside of Hogwarts and thus broke the decree for the use of magic of underage witches and wizards. He would surely be expelled this time and no matter what help Dumbledore offered it most certainly would not be enough to keep him out of Azkaban. Considering the trial he underwent last year, and the anger he saw in Fudge's eyes, Harry would have bet all the galleons in his Gringott's vault that the Minister would be out for blood.

A thought suddenly struck him. He hadn't used his wand and it had been accidental magic; perhaps the Ministry of Magic had not even caught wind of the incident. No Muggles, other than the Dursley's who already knew about his being a wizard would be the wiser, and as far as he could tell no one was injured and the wizarding world was left uncompromised.

Harry lay back on the soft grass and thought about what happened, while running a hand through his hair and again checking to see if his scar had returned to what he thought of as normal. In the Dursley's hallway he had simply lost control of his magic as he did every summer away from Hogwarts. This time was different somehow and Harry could sense that he had changed for a moment in front of his family. The Dursley's had never looked so afraid before. Their fear is not what bothered Harry so much, but rather what it was they feared; he had seen the look of utter terror in his cousin's eyes as they watched the room become cast in shadow's, and not once did his family members remove their eyes from him.

He wondered what exactly had happened to him to strike such fear into people that he knew had quite a strong resolve.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he propped himself up on his elbows as aunt Petunia came strolling out the kitchen door in a summer dress and pearls, an iced beverage in one hand and pruning shears in the other. It was time for the afternoon show Harry liked to think of as 'I'm better than you are', starring Petunia Dursley.

His thoughts were abruptly cut short as his aunt shouted over one of her perfectly pruned rose bushes at him.

'Get up off your lazy arse and clean up the mess you made. You might think you can get away with whatever you want, but you are sadly mistaken.' Lowering her voice to such a whisper that harry had to lean over the shrub to hear her, she continued, 'You are only safe while you are under my supervision. It is my blood that keeps HIM away, so don't you forget your place,' she finished and turned to her gardens.

'Now go do the dishes. You slept through lunch so I put a plate of food on your bed,' she added from over her shoulder as she pulled several stubborn weeds from their strongholds in a flowerbed.

The weeks went by slowly in Privet Drive, and Harry still had not heard from either of his best friends, so he decided that it was time to send Hedwig on a flight. He walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer to pull out some spare parchment, when he realised that all of his school supplies were still locked up in the cupboard under the stairs. He would have to get them out soon or else the rest of the summer would be quite bleak.

Lying down on his bed, Harry stared up at his ceiling and thought of a possible way to get some parchment from his trunk. Maybe he could bribe his cousin for help. Although aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon acted as though his "tantrum" as they put it, did not occur, Dudley had begun to act strangely. He had become almost rebellious toward his parents and less hostile toward Harry. He rarely insulted Harry and over the past two weeks had even let him watch the television in his room three times. Harry thought it quite strange that his oversized cousin could show such kindness and didn't dare question it, but took full advantage instead.

Perhaps he could approach Dudley while no one was around and ask him not to tell his parents what he had planned, and if that failed he could always offer him a week's worth of his desserts. Dudley, still on his mother's dreadful diet, would surely be unable to turn that down.

There, it was decided. He simply needed to wait for a time when Dudley was all alone, and then he could propose the trade.

Picking up some of his oversized second hand clothes off the ground, Harry quickly tossed Hedwig some owl treats before heading downstairs for supper. Not in a rush, Harry avoided the creaking stairs and was sure to avoid cracking his head at the bottom of the staircase.

He stopped and inspected where he had hit his head those weeks before and was shocked to see how much lower the plaster arch seemed to him than the previous summer. Surely he had grown taller over the year but he didn't think it had been that much.

Thinking about his height and looking over at the newly installed light fixtures in the hallway as he passed them, Harry strode into the kitchen to find the three Dursley's already sitting at the dinner table enjoying their meal. It was no surprise to him that they started eating without him, but what shocked him was that Dudley and his parents were having a bit of a row, something almost unheard of.

'But son, you can't always have everything you want, there are others to think about,' uncle Vernon was saying to his hippo of a son.

'You see mum, it's already begun. You're forgetting all about me, and soon you won't even love me any more,' Dudley said in a hurt voice to his mother, who rolled her eyes and placed her hands on the table next to her untouched dinner plate.

'Of course we're not going to stop loving you Duddikins,' she preened in what she thought was a sweet tone, 'We just can't go spending the lot of our money on every little thing you ask for.'

Harry made his way around his aunt's chair and sat down in his regular seat to serve himself. As he reached out to spoon some mashed potatoes onto his plate he was caught off guard when aunt Petunia's pale hand reached out and grasped his wrist, stopping him. In all the years he had lived with his aunt she had probably only touched him intentionally a handful of times.

'You can have my plate Harry,' she said, 'I'm not feeling all that well and there is no sense in wasting a perfectly nice plate of food,' she ended, sliding her plate of dinner in front of her nephew.

'Not again tonight Petunia,' Vernon asked sounding slightly distressed. 'That's three times this week already, and it's only Thursday.'

Uncle Vernon shook his head then flattened his neatly parted grey hair to his head nervously.

'So,' Dudley started, directing his comment at Harry, who had just taken a bite of steak and peas from his aunt's plate of cold food, 'tell me again Harry, what was it that my aunt Lily did for a living?'

Aunt Petunia stared at Dudley through wide eyes as though he had just uttered a disgusting swear word.

Harry choked on a pea as he began coughing madly to try and clear his airway of the piece of meat he had swallowed unintentionally. With tears in his eyes he looked up to see the astonished looks on his aunt and uncle's faces as they looked on at their son. Harry gulped down some water from his glass, and stared at Dudley for a moment trying to understand what he had meant.

Dudley broke the awkward silence and started to speak to Harry once again.

'Well, my mum and dad never speak of her and Uncle James, so I figured who better to ask than their own son. Was she a magic teacher or a magic cop or a magic secretary-' he continued on as though this was a completely normal conversation for them to be having.

'Dudley! What do you think you are doing,' uncle Vernon shouted suddenly, steak sauce dribbling down his chin and blending in with some of his face's blotchiness.

Aunt Petunia looked paler than usual and as though she was going to faint.

Harry took this opportunity, thinking it would be the perfect chance to get Dudley away from his parents for the trade he had in mind.

'Maybe we could go for a walk down to the park or around Magnolia Crescent" Harry suggested standing up and putting his plate of unfinished dinner on the countertop.

'Oh no you don't!' uncle Vernon shouted, spraying the dinner table with wine and steak sauce.

'I think that would be a marvelous idea,' Dudley said, also standing and walking to the kitchen door behind Harry.

They both walked out the doorway into the dim light of the setting sun, and Harry could see uncle Vernon fanning aunt Petunia from where she lay on the floor, until Dudley's large form blocked them from sight.

The cool evening air was welcomed as it brushed across Harry's face, and Dudley too seemed to enjoy it as he ran a hand through his lengthening brown locks. The sun was just setting for the night and the houses beyond Wisteria Walk were splashed eerily in a crimson light. The faint outline of the moon had already snuck halfway up into the evening sky and faint specks of shimmering light were quickly breaking through the velvety blue above.

Harry and Dudley walked down to the end of Privet Drive in silence, neither one knowing exactly what to say, and neither of them wanting to speak first. It had been extremely awkward for Harry to ask Dudley to go for a walk. It was the first time Harry had elected to do anything voluntarily with his cousin in fifteen and a half years.

Although Harry knew why he wanted to talk to Dudley, he wasn't sure why his cousin had been so willing to talk to him. Did he really want to know about Harry's parents or was he simply using whatever saved up material he had to enrage his parents in an act of rebellion. Harry dug his hands deep into his pockets and took a deep breath before turning to Dudley and starting.

'So, were you really interested in what my mum did, or were you just teasing me, or maybe trying to start a row with your parents?' he said cautiously, hoping that he wouldn't get a fist to the side of his head.

'You're half right Harry, I was tryin' to get a rise out of mum and dad, but I really am interested in what she did. Her and uncle James,' Dudley responded in earnest, kicking an empty soda can onto someone's lawn. 'I'm not goin' all mushy or nothin' but I would never make fun of you for somethin' like that!' he said looking at Harry with a perfectly straight face.

Harry sighed.

'Well what do you want to know about them Dudley. There's not much I can say that won't involve the magical world,' Harry said cautiously, looking around to make sure there was no one around who could overhear them.

The street was clear and the sun had completely sunk behind the homes ahead. Magnolia Crescent was now bathed in the eerie yellow glow of street lamps and the little light offered from the glittering sky above.

'I know you idiot, I wasn't just born yesterday,' Dudley's voice answered him with indignation; something Harry thought Dudley incapable of expressing.

'All right, well, where to begin. My mum was what the wizarding world calls an Auror. That's someone who catches dark wizards and witches and sends them off to the wizarding prison Azkaban. I guess it's equal to what the Muggle world calls federal agents, and from what I've heard my mum was a darn good one!' Harry said with a rush of pride.

The thought of his mum apprehending dark wizards all over Britain made him feel that he could most definitely be a great Auror as well, no matter what that Hag Umbridge said.

For the next half-hour Harry spoke of all he could think of about his parents from what he had learned from Professor Lupin, Sirius, and Hagrid, while Dudley listened intently, sometimes with wide eyes.

The two boys continued to walk down the deserted streets as Harry told his tale and only stopped briefly to do up their shirts when a cool air swept by. When he was done telling his cousin all that he knew about his parents they had already reached the park at the end of Magnolia Crescent and were sitting on an old vandalised park bench near the side of the road.

Harry looked up at Dudley and saw that he was staring determinedly at the corner of Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk, a dark look behind his chocolate brown eyes.

'What are looking at Dud, is there a cat in the bushes or something?' Harry inquired of the large boy siting next to him.

'Don't you remember it Harry, it was only just last summer,' Dudley said quietly, pointing a sausage like finger at the edge of the road where a white metal fence sat undisturbed near the curb. Leaves rustled in the wind and litter whirled by in front of the lonely fence. The broken street lamp above did not contribute to the leering shadows on the road but remained dark, never having been repaired since that night eleven months before.

Realising what his cousin meant, Harry shuddered at the thought of the foul creatures that had attacked them last summer in plain sight of a Muggle residence, and pulled his shirt around himself tighter to warm up.

'You mean the Dementors don't you?' he asked quietly, not wanting to worsen the feeling Dudley might be remembering; the cold emptiness, and the thought that he would never be cheerful again.

'Yeah,' Dudley said nodding his fat head, 'and you said that your mum had to work with those things every time she brought a prisoner to Abzakan. She must've been brave,' he added, smiling slightly at Harry before shivering.

'Azkaban,' Harry corrected him, 'But my Godfather was even braver. He spent twelve years of his life in a small cell in the prison, under constant guard from the things.' Immediately after saying this to his cousin, he wished he hadn't; he really wasn't in the mood to discuss Sirius, not yet.

'You freaked out last time you talked about him,' Dudley said carefully, not looking into Harry's eyes in case he threw another tantrum. 'If he's so much better than us why don't go live with him?' he asked Harry, trying to sound as unprovoking as possible, and failing.

Harry looked up at the sky and blinked a few times in an attempt to clear the unshed tears from his eyes before answering. The stars twinkled brightly in the heavens like diamonds cast into a dark hole, and Harry noticed something that he never had before. A peculiar grouping of stars seemed to be shining more brightly than the others, as though five wands were stationed above casting Lumos, and Harry smiled as he realised what he was looking up at.

'There, right there Dud, do you see it?' he asked, leaning closer to his cousin and pointing toward the twinkling constellation. 'That is why I don't live with my Godfather. It's called Sirius, the dog constellation.'

Dudley looked on in confusion for a moment, and then understood what Harry meant.

'You mean he's-'

'Yeah,' Harry said quickly, cutting him off before he could say it, 'At the hands of the same people who have taken away everyone else from me, so if you don't mind I'd rather not discuss it,' he said quietly, before wiping away a couple of tears and standing up.

'Now you've heard all about my family, so what's going on with you Dud,' he asked staring at his cousin, who stood up slowly using the bench for support, and started walking toward home. 'What is it your parents have done that has made you punish them and be nice to me?'

Dudley whirled around and pointed a finger in Harry's face, making him stagger backward over the curb and fall onto the grass.

'I don't really want to discuss it, and I never said that we were friends or anything,' he spat. 'Just because I'm talking to you doesn't mean that we'll be best pals and do everything together,' Dudley continued backing away from Harry a bit so that he could stand himself up again. 'I just figure that if we have to live together, the least we can do is be civil to one another.'

'All right,' Harry said through gritted teeth as he brushed the grass off his clothes, and tried to calm himself after his fall. How could Dudley be such an oaf? He just sat there and listened to him tell all about his parents' lives and then turns around and decides that he doesn't want to be Harry's friend. 'I don't expect you to be my friend,' Harry continued as he walked up beside Dudley, hearing him huff as he trudged slowly back to his home, 'I just thought that maybe every now and again we could help each other out.'

Harry decided this would probably be his only chance to ask Dudley for help with his school supplies. After all, tomorrow he might be over whatever it was he was fighting with the Dursley's for, and go back to hating him.

'So Dud, I was thinking-'

'I'm glad you feel that way Harry,' Dudley interrupted him, 'because I was hopin' you might help me out with somethin'.' He looked up at Harry and began to smile the phoniest smile Harry had ever seen, making Harry crack a smile until the both of them were laughing openly in the middle of the dark street.

'Well it depends,' Harry said slowly, 'on what it is you need help with, and if you'll do me a favor in return.'

'I'll do anything you ask, especially if mum and dad won't like it,' Dudley said, turning quickly to face Harry, causing his many chins to wobble. 'Just please Harry, help me to get as skinny as you!'

Harry wasn't sure how to reply. He hadn't expected such a request and he was almost certain that it was an impossible feat.

'How do you want me to help you?' Harry asked his cousin incredulously, looking him up and down and wondering what had brought on this sudden idea.

'Well, I thought that maybe you could come running in the mornings with me, and then you could show me some of the exercises you do to stay so thin.'

'To tell you the truth Dud, I don't really do many exercises. I just have a quick metabolism.' Harry watched as his cousin's face dropped and he started to turn away from him. He was going to lose his chance to get his parchment. 'But I don't see why I couldn't start running and showing you a few things.'

Harry let out a sigh of relief as Dudley's massive form turned back toward him and his face had a huge grin rolling from one chunky cheek to the other. As they walked back down Privet Drive, Harry told Dudley all the details he had worked out to get his parchment, and just as he had expected, his cousin agreed immediately to help him out.

Walking down the silent and ever curving road in the shadows cast by the overhead street lamps, and talking back and forth, any on-looking stranger would not have thought the pair to have expressed years of hatred and loathing, but instead, to have been old friends.


	2. Petunia's Secret

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A/N: Thanks to all those of you who have left me reviews! it really makes my day to read them, and I thank you for your honest opinions. I'm happy to tell you that I have twenty more chapters already completed, however I will not post them all immediately. I'll post another now and see what sort of feedbackI get and then we'll go from there. Thanks again for the reviews and i hope you enjoy this one. On another note, I'm new to posting on this site and I'm unsure of how to edit my first chapter. I tried but I don't completely understand. If someone could let me know that would be great : D Thanks, Kyle.

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**Chapter 2: Petunia's Secret**

Sirius dodged curse after blinding curse as a sizzling red one suddenly streaked past his left ear making him recoil slightly, luckily placing him millimeters from where a lightning like blue one would have struck him. His taunts continued to fill the round stone room at the Department of Mysteries as the woman he counter-cursed grew increasingly agitated and constantly marked his every move.

'Is that the best you've got,' Sirius shouted from his position atop the stone dais, at the dark witch standing only metres away. One final curse shot from the wand of one of Voldemort's most loyal servants and caught Sirius Black directly in the chest. A look of shock played on the handsomely tortured face of Harry's Godfather, before all life was wiped clean from it, leaving it expressionless as he fell backwards.

The worst noise Harry could ever remember sounded in the large chamber as his and Remus Lupin's cries intermingled and were then drowned out by a cold, affected laughter. The shrill voice of Bellatrix Lestrange, cousin to the last, and now late, member of the Black family resonated of the thick stone walls as she rejoiced in the murder of her despised relative. After having watched his only hope for happiness disappear through a veil, never to be seen from again, Harry began chasing Bellatrix as she fled from the room after what she considered an immense victory, but stopped suddenly when he heard a haunting yet hope-inspiring sound.

'Harry, are you there. It's Sirius,' the distant, toneless voice droned from somewhere behind him.

Turning around quickly so that his hair suddenly whipped into his eyes and momentarily blocked his view, Harry found that the room, which seconds before had contained a handful of Death Eaters and the strongest members of the Order, was now empty save for him.

The veil sat quietly for a moment upon the large stone dais where it was placed, the black curtain still flowing eerily. Harry was no longer tempted to enter it involuntarily, perhaps as it was not pulsing it's charm having just been satisfied by it's newest arrival.

'Harry,' Sirius' voice floated up from the depths of the veil once more, causing Harry to think that he was simply beyond the curtain and that maybe if he could just reach in, then he could pull his Godfather back out.

'Sirius. I'm right here Sirius,' Harry called into the exceptionally quiet room, his voice bouncing off the dark walls and echoing back at him. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he stepped carefully towards his Godfather's voice, where it emerged once again from its new prison.

'Goodbye Harry,' Sirius' voice sent fear rushing through Harry's suddenly tense form, and causing him to shake as he spoke.

'N-nno Sirius, d-d-don't leave me,' Harry called back at the voice, his eyes welling up with tears as he fell to his knees at the edge of the dais and looked up expectantly at the black curtain floating barely a foot in front of his quivering face.

'I have no choice,' the voice answered him, 'not that I would want to stay anyway.' The tonelessness had abruptly dropped away and was replaced by a cold, menacing one, dripping with sarcasm.

'What,' Harry uttered not believing what he had just heard. 'What are you talking about,' he asked the curtain, not expecting what came next.

'Why would I want to stay in a world where my only family members are a murderous Death Eater, and a coward teenage boy,' the voice answered as though it was clearly the obvious answer.

Harry fell backward from the dais and scrambled to pull himself farther away as quickly as he could, a look of utter horror on his terrified face.

'What, did you think I would want to live with such a puny coward,' the sound filled the room louder than ever, not allowing Harry to escape it. Covering his ears, he shut his eyes tightly and tried to block the cruel voice from his mind, failing miserably. 'A coward,' the voice boomed, 'who couldn't even save the person he claimed to love and want to live with. No wonder your parents were happy to be rid of you.'

Harry sat alone in the corner of the dark room, tears falling openly down his now blank face, and soaking the front of his robes. No words would form in his mind as he sat unbelieving and listened to the horrible things his Godfather said.

'I thought it a pity that your parents had died, but now that I'm here, and rid of you, I can understand how wrong I was. It was the best thing that ever happened to them.'

Harry started shaking his head defiantly, words racing in his mind but still not forming any coherent sentences.

'But don't worry Harry,' the cold voice said in almost a consoling tone, 'you can't hurt me anymore. I just wonder ... how long will it be until Ron and Hermione realise what you are, and find their pleasure in welcoming death.'

'Noooooo!' Harry screamed deafeningly, finally connecting his mind to his mouth and shouting as loud as his voice would allow. He looked all around him and found that he was sitting up in his bed, his sweat soaked sheets tangled around his legs. He lay his head back down and tried to clear his mind.

The nightmares were getting worse, so much that Harry almost welcomed a mind invasion from Voldemort, just to relieve him of the torment he experienced every night when he heard Sirius' voice. He knew it wasn't true, that it was all lies and that he mustn't blame himself for his Godfather death, but still a guilty tugging at the back of his mind reminded him constantly that he was the reason that Sirius was at the Department of Mysteries that night.

Throwing his wet sheets and T-shirt to the floor, Harry got out of bed, staggered to his large bureau, and opened the second drawer. Fumbling in the darkness, he pulled out a dry shirt and let his hand rest on something flat and smooth. Harry reached back into the drawer after quickly putting on his shirt and withdrew the slim photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year. Walking over to his desk and placing the album down, he took a seat in his chair and allowed his body to be bathed in the soft moonlight that poured through his window.

Hedwig, fast asleep in her cage made a low purring sound as she adjusted a wing and slept on. Harry spent the next few moments quietly flipping through the yellowing pages of his past and only documentation of his life with his parents. When he felt sleep tug at his eyes once more, he left the album open on his desk and climbed back onto his bed, where almost instantly he drifted back to sleep hoping that he wouldn't dream again.

Sitting perched on a high tree branch outside his window, two bright green eyes shone mysteriously as they watched the rhythmic rise and fall of Harry's chest as he slept. Turning its attention to the desk, the animal spotted an open book and crept slowly down the branch to get a closer look. The creature cocked it's head as it gazed at a picture of dark-haired, bespectacled wizard and a flaming red-haired witch sitting in a garden outside a peaceful little cottage. The sun shone brightly, cropped above their heads in the clear blue sky, reflecting their love and happiness as they looked down on a seemingly perfect dark-haired baby between them.

The magical beast sat for a moment, entranced by the love-filled photo, and then gazed at the sleeping boy only feet away, dreaming of horrors that only his mind knew. Turning its head to go, the fiery red bird spread its wings and took off soaring high into the sky, a single tear dripping down its beak and onto the perfectly kempt grass below. The bird flew silently away from number Four Privet Drive, the only evidence it was there sat in the middle of the Dursley's front yard as a fully bloomed and lonely looking flower: a white Lily.

Sunlight crept through the uncovered window into the Dursley's smallest and most bare room until it flooded the entire space with a warm glow that extended to Harry Potters sleeping features. He did not enjoy nor dislike the warm feeling, as he was abruptly woken moments later by a suffocating weight covering his entire head. Instantly throwing his arms up to try and grasp the foreign object and clear it from his immediate breathing space, he pulled away a blue pillow and found himself looking up at a smirking Dudley.

'Time to get up now,' Dudley's round sleepy face said to him as he took in deep breaths and stared incredulously at his cousin, the anger evident on his breathless visage.

'What are you on about,' Harry asked, looking over at his simple alarm clock sitting on the desk across the room from him. 'Quarter past six!' he cried. 'You've got to be kidding. What could you possibly expect from me at quarter past six in the bloody morning,' he grumbled turning on his side and burying his face once more into his pillow.

'Get up!' Dudley said more resolutely this time, grabbing Harry's pillow and wrenching it from beneath him so that his head clanged hard against the metal frame of the bed.

'What is your problem?' Harry asked sitting up and tangling his fingers in his mop of black hair so that he could rub the newly forming goose egg on the side of his head.

'You promised we could go running every morning, so get out of bed you lazy turd,' the large boy said to his sleepy cousin, who had again laid his head down, without a pillow. Harry found Dudley calling him lazy quite ironic as he was thin and did most of the house chores, while Dudley was the size of a small hippopotamus and sat on the couch every day doing nothing but watch the television or play his video games. 'Or I suppose I could go and tell dad about your plan to get your school things,' Dudley threatened.

Harry sprung out of bed and glared at his cousin. 'Fine we'll go running, but why does it have to be so early in the morning,' Harry asked him in frustration as he walked over to his bureau and pulled out a pair of navy joggers and a grey T-shirt.

Looking up at his cousin, Harry suddenly guffawed and couldn't stop his laughter, placing a hand on his bureau to keep upright, 'What,' he managed to say between laughs, 'are you wearing?'

Dudley's smile vanished as he looked down at his jogging outfit. He was wearing a pair of stretchy yellow spandex; a yellow stripe running down the side of each trunk sized leg, and a matching yellow top and sweatband. Combined with his size, the blindingly yellow outfit made Dudley look like a miniature Taxi parked in the middle of Harry's bedroom.

'Mum bought it for me when I started my diet,' he said narrowing his eyes at Harry warningly, 'said it would be good for jogging and that I should give 'em a try,' he said looking angrily at Harry who was struggling to keep a straight face. It was all he could do to not laugh at his stretchy panted cousin. 'If you laugh at me one more time I'll bust your face in Harry,' Dudley said in a quiet growl, causing Harry to instantly sober up and resume dressing himself.

Once the two boys were fully dressed, they stepped into the hallway quietly, passing the Dursley's bedroom where they heard uncle Vernon's deafening snores, and crept down the stairs avoiding the creaking stairs so not to wake him and aunt Petunia. They entered the kitchen, where first Harry and then Dudley filled water bottles before turning to the back door and walking out into the warm early morning sunlight.

Stepping into the backyard and feeling the sun's ray's tickle his face, Harry could tell that it was going to be an extremely warm day. Suddenly glad they were going to run in the morning while the sun was still low in the cloudless periwinkle sky, Harry began walking around the side of the house bathed in the shadow Dudley's large form provided as he followed him.

Once the boys were standing on the crushed rock driveway in front of the Dursley's home, Harry surveyed his cousin with crossed arms wondering where to begin.

'So Dud,' he said to his alarmingly yellow cousin, 'have you ever jogged before?' knowing full well what his response would be. He wasn't sure whether Dudley knew how to warm up, and while his suit was able to stretch, Harry wasn't sure that Dudley's body could.

'Nope, this'll be it, unless you count the time I ran to the corner to catch the ice cream delivery truck,' Dudley said, twisting his hands and waiting for Harry to start running.

'Ok, well first we have to warm up,' Harry started, 'by doing stretches so that our legs don't cramp up,' he said trying to remember how his Phys-Ed teacher had taught him back in primary school.

'All right, you start and I'll watch you this time,' Dudley told his cousin, turning to find somewhere he could sit down and relax.

'Oh no you don't!' Harry said sternly, pursing his lips in such a way that even professor McGonagall would have had trouble achieving. 'You wanted to run, you'll do it all,' Harry said before turning and explaining to Dudley how to stretch his legs, leaving no room for argument.

They had hardly been warming up for three minutes when harry noticed the beads of sweat forming on Dudley's expansive forehead, and running down the sides of his face. Harry had no idea how he was going to get him running.

'Alright. Let's get started,' he said, making sure his laces were tied tightly and he set off down the driveway, turning right at the end.

Letting his arms glide back and forth in rhythm at his sides, Harry jogged slowly as he watched Dudley try and mimic his running style. It was more than a valiant effort on Harry's part, not to laugh as Dudley's legs made a swishing sound as the bright yellow material between his legs rubbed together with every lurch forward.

By the time the pair had reached the end of Privet Drive, Dudley was panting and gasping for air, sticking out one of his arms so that he could lean on a red letter box on the corner. The metal box squeaked and groaned under the immense pressure of holding up the small taxi called Dudley.

Harry was starting to feel good, like he could run for another half-hour at least. He hated to admit it, but Dudley did have a great idea in suggesting running every morning.

'Well Magnolia Crescent and to the park, or Wisteria Walk and to the other end of Privet" Harry gave his panting cousin the choice, 'Either is fine for me,' he added, running a hand across his forehead, not feeling any sweat as he barely even felt warmed up.

'How 'bout back down Privet and home,' Dudley suggested, clearly not wanting to go any further, 'I've had enough for tod-' he started to say but then stopped as he stared off down Magnolia Crescent.

Harry craned his neck so to look after whatever it was had distracted his cousin and was shocked to see a pretty brown-haired girl running toward them from halfway down Magnolia Crescent, her hair swaying behind her with every step. She was wearing a pink and black spandex jogging outfit and was running toward the boys at a fair pace; it was clear she had had practice and had probably been running for years. Dudley stood up straight and Harry watched as he sucked in his gut the best he could, consequently puffing out his chest, as the pretty girl came running up to them.

Harry stifled a laugh.

'Hi Dudley, how are you?' the dark-haired girl said, the plait at the back of her head falling over her shoulder as she stopped. Her voice was quiet and girlie, much like Parvati Patil's, and her eyes were a startling ice blue. She smiled at Dudley, exposing her straight white teeth, and the smile extended to her eyes, making them stand out further. She really was pretty.

'G-good morning Maria,' Dudley stammered slightly as he stared at the girl in front of him, smiling back a very toothy grin. 'Nice morning for a run isn't it?' he asked her, trying to sound casual and as though he did it often.

'Yes, it's lovely,' she said, 'I always try to come early in the morning like this to try and beat the sun getting to warm.'

Aha! Harry knew there had been a reason for Dudley to want to go running so early in the morning. He thought it had been to avoid the heat, but the sneaky git knew when Maria went running every morning and just wanted to ensure that he ran into her. 'Not a bad idea' he thought to himself, as he leaned on the large tree trunk and waited for Dudley to be ready to go back to number Four.

'I really like your jogging suit,' Maria said to Dudley, smiling more broadly, 'You look really smart in it,' she added quickly before batting her eyelashes and playing with her plait.

Harry coughed slightly and blinked in disbelief; was Maria actually flirting with Dudley. She couldn't possibly be interested in him, could she?

Hearing Harry in the background and turning toward him as though she just noticed his presence, she held out her hand, 'Hello there, I'm Maria Turner. I go to school with Dudley.' Then she gazed at Harry expectantly, waiting for the dark-haired boy to introduce himself.

'Oh sorry, I'm Harry Potter,' he said holding out his hand and shaking hers, 'Dudley's cousin.'

Her eyes widened and for a moment Harry thought he saw her eyes travel to the scar on his forehead before turning back to Dudley, 'You never said you had a cousin, Dud?'

'I didn't, oh, well I do, and that's him,' Dudley stated, pointing at Harry unnecessarily.

Maria looked at Harry once more as he brushed his hand through his hair and gave a sigh; the weather was really starting to heat up.

'Where'd you get that scar?' Maria asked looking up at Harry, who suddenly became nervous and shifted his weight back and forth on his feet.

'Um, I uhh, well you see-' Harry started not knowing what to say. This had never come up before; everyone in the wizarding world knew of his famous scar and just pointed at it without needing an explanation.

'He got it when an evil wizard tried to kill 'em as a baby,' Dudley said casually, tilting his head toward Harry and shrugging his shoulders as though he spoke of magic on a regular basis.

'DUDLEY!' Harry cried, not believing what his cousin had just told a Muggle girl, who probably thought they were crazy and would run off to tell the Muggle papers, 'What do you think you're-'

'I knew it!' Maria shouted excitedly jumping on the spot and making Harry stare at her with wide eyes, 'You're Harry Potter, and you go to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, right,' she stated more than asked him.

Harry stood still, not knowing what to say for a moment. Did the Muggle papers do a prime time write up on him as well, or was Rita Skeeter on the loose and making him pay in the Muggle world for what Hermione had done to her.

'H-how do you know about Hogwarts?' Harry finally formed his question, narrowing his eyes and leaning closer towards her so not to miss a word she said.

'My cousin Lavender told me all about you! Lavender Brown, she's in Gryndifor with you,' she said flashing her white smile once more.

'Gryffindor,' Harry corrected her and leaned back on the tree understanding now. 'So you're not a witch then?' Harry asked, pushing up his glasses and lifting his hand to shade his eyes from the sun that had risen over the roofs of the nearby houses.

'No, but my mum's a Squib and then there's Lavender's whole family.'

'So,' Dudley said, trying to re-enter the conversation, 'are we going to keep running Harry?'

'I thought you wanted to go home, said you were tired,' Harry replied looking up at his cousin who was shaking his head in protest behind Maria.

'Of course not, we've only just begun,' Dudley said smiling at Maria who looked back at him and asked if they would like to join her. Dudley immediately accepted, leaning closer to where Maria was standing looking at Harry and waiting for his response.

'No. You two go ahead,' Harry told the pair and walked forward onto the sidewalk. 'I think I'll head back now and start pruning aunt Petunia's garden. Thanks though.'

He really did not feel like running with Dudley while he made a fool of himself, and even less with Maria who seemed to know all about him, through Lavender's gossip.

Turning to the left he began jogging down Magnolia Crescent, looking over his shoulder to see the large form of Dudley straining to keep up with Maria's graceful stride, but not giving up. As he ran down the nearly deserted street he came up to the spot of the Dementors' attack again and shivered involuntarily.

People were starting to stir in their houses, and the smell of fried bacon wafted into his nostrils as he passed a large blue house near the park with all of its window's open. Most of the homes in this area were in pristine condition, much like the Dursley's, and had gardens running down the walkways.

A particular house stood out now as he approached it, bright purple flowers hung from the tree in the front yard, and a short old woman in fuzzy blue slippers was standing under it with crossed arms.

'I wondered when you'd stop by,' came the low croaky voice from under the lilac tree.

'Hello Mrs. Figg,' Harry waved as he neared her white townhouse, adorned with green shutters and a brilliant crimson door.

Harry had only just learned of Arabella Figg's being a Squib the following summer, moments after he had conjured a Patronus charm to ward off the Dementors' attack. She had been working for Dumbledore since the day he was left on the Dursley's doorstep, and although she was unable to perform magic, she could still relay messages to him about Harry's safety whilst he was away from the castle.

'How are you?' he asked the old woman, who placed a wrinkled hand to the side of his head gingerly and fumbled through the wind blown mess of dark hair to press on his new bump.

'Quite well, at the moment,' she replied through narrowed eyes as she looked him up and down, looking for other bumps and bruises she would undoubtedly report to the old headmaster. 'You on the other hand don't look so well,' she said poking the bump a little harder and making him wince in pain. 'What happened to your head Potter?' she asked him, suspicion conveyed by her tone rather than concern as she removed her hand from his head and once again crossed her arms.

Harry looked down at the old woman clothed in purple pants too short for her legs and a baby blue cardigan about two sizes too large. He was only a couple of inches taller than her, but it was enough that she had to look up and over her large rimmed glasses to see straight into his emerald eyes.

'I bumped my head in bed this morning,' he told her truthfully and shifted his weight to his other foot, 'No big deal, it'll go away soon,' he added, trying to smile convincingly at his old baby-sitter.

Not looking convinced by the details of his story, Mrs. Figg turned around and headed down the walkway toward her home. Looking back over her shoulder at Harry, who was still standing under the Lilac's beautifully bloomed branches, and huffed.

'Well come on then, you can't very well drink tea from out here,' she mumbled more to herself than anyone, and then added as an afterthought, 'can you?'

Harry took in a deep breath and accepted the old woman's invitation by following her up her stone front steps, pausing for a moment to notice the large purple numbers on the side of a window that the Dursley's would surely have found offensive, and then ducked through the bright crimson door.

Once inside the small, basically ordinary townhouse Harry looked around wide-eyed at all of the new changes Mrs. Figg had made since his last visit years before. Now that Harry knew she was a Squib there was no need to live in a Muggle style home and lose the wonderful perks from that of a witches. Mrs. Figg had clearly had a witch or wizard stop by and cast an enlargement spell on her home, as once inside it was nearly the size of Grimmauld Place, reaching five stories up. Seeing the drastic difference from the outside to the in, Harry was reminded of the first time he set foot inside a wizards tent at the World Cup two summers before.

Mrs. Figg told Harry to go and make himself comfortable while she put the teapot on the burner, and that she would come and find him when it was ready. He watched as her small frame retreated down the large corridor in the center of the house and then disappeared around a corner twenty feet ahead.

While the size of her home was different, Harry noted that Mrs. Figg had not eliminated the odour. The pungent smell of a home with too many cats drifted in the air and tickled at the back of Harry's throat making him gag and cover his nose as he walked in further. Trying to ignore the feline presence and breathe through his mouth, Harry walked into the expanded living area and looked around.

The old library that had sat in a dusty corner next to an electric heater, now stood twice as tall and three times as wide next to a four foot tall fireplace in which a golden fire burned merrily. Harry spotted all of the old books he had read as a child when he was left there by the Dursley's, but also noticed hundreds of newer or rather older volumes lining the walls. Most of them magical reference books and textbooks used in Charms and Transfiguration. Harry smiled as he thought of the look on Hermione's crestfallen face when he told her about what she had missed.

Walking into the room Harry heard chattering voices stop abruptly, but no one in sight to whom they might have belonged. Standing in front of the silver-mantled fireplace, Harry swept his eyes over the room, carefully searching for signs of life, and was still unable to find the culprits.

'Quit yer staring at everythin',' a harsh voice suddenly gruffed, catching Harry off guard, 'You tryin' to decide what to knick, you good for nothin' thief?' the low rough voice added. Harry looked around startled, and still saw no one.

'Who's there?' he asked loudly in a clear voice, trying not to sound alarmed, though he was.

'Oh Rupert, calm down. You'll scare our guest you old grump,' came a nicer, but still stern voice to chide the first one.

'Well Vi, there are always guests stopping in at all hours of the day, and never to see us I might add,' the low voice sounded again, this time almost sulking.

'Oh grow up you old prude,' the voice called Vi answered. 'Now dear,' the voice addressed Harry, 'what is your name and to what do we owe this visit?'

'I'm Harry Potter,' he started slowly, unsure of who might be speaking to him. For all he knew this could be a mind game played by dark wizards to try and distract him, 'And I'm here for tea with Mrs. Figg,' he finished, not giving any more detail than was necessary in his reply.

'The Harry Potter! Did you hear that Rupert?' Vi's piercing voice suddenly tore through the air making Harry cringe and raise his hands to cover his ears. 'We've heard so much about you dear, how are you?' she asked lowering her voice to a more of a shout than a screech.

Starting to get annoyed, Harry sat down on the black leather sofa facing the fireplace and asked, 'To whom am I speaking please?'

'Gerroff ma fass,' the muffled sound of the voice called Rupert came out from under him.

Jumping up as quickly as he could, Harry spun around and stared at where he had just been sitting with a look of shock clearly written on his face.

'You see Vi, no consideration for those around them,' the voice started in irritation, 'waltz in and think they can sit on us whenever they please, without even asking our permission.'

'A-are you a talking sofa?' Harry stammered in a disbelieving voice. He was shocked by the wizarding world less and less with every new year now, but this he had not expected.

'Of course he is,' Vi's voice floated up from the fluffy pink armchair sitting next to Rupert the sofa, 'and I'm Violet, but you can call me Vi.'

'I'm sorry about that,' Harry turned and said to what he hoped was Rupert's face, 'I've never met speaking furniture, so I'm not quite sure how to sit on you.'

'That's quite all right,' Vi answered for him, 'He's just being an old grump,' her high voice lowered and grew colder for a moment. 'Why don't you come have a seat with me and tell me all about your friends and family, and of course all of your furniture?'

Harry was about to sit down when much to his relief Mrs. Figg came strolling around the corner and told him the tea was ready and to follow her.

'You two better quit playing with the guests or I'll send you to the second hand furniture store or maybe the rubbish pile!' she shouted back at Vi and Rupert threateningly.

As Harry followed Mrs. Figg out of the room he said "Nice to meet the both of you" and heard Vi's goodbye and Rupert's mumblings of ungrateful brat and something that sounded like sore cushions.

The old slanted walls in Mrs. Figg's hallway reminded Harry greatly of the buildings in Diagon Alley, each sloping in awkward and impossible angles. Emerging through an oddly rounded doorway, he looked around with surprise. The sitting room they had just entered was modeled to match the Slytherin common room down to the last painting.

Harry had only been in the despised house's common room once before, but that was all he needed to know that the Gryffindors' was a hundred times better. His eyes scanned the room as he followed Mrs. Figg to a comfortable black leather sofa, and carefully seated himself, waiting for a voice to tell him to get off it's face. Nothing.

He noticed the cold, dark stones molding the walls of the large room, covered in green and silver serpentine hangings, and the thick green carpets that lay on the floor. Across from him Mrs. Figg sat in an identical black couch and began to pour the tea that sat on a black coffee table in front of them, her features glowing eerily in a flickering light from the fireplace. Just as in his second year, the large silver fireplace next to the sofas expelled little heat from its acid green flames as they danced and licked at the walls around them.

'Mrs. Figg,' Harry started to ask as his curiosity got the better of him. She looked up from the table and handed him a cup of steaming tea then nodded, signaling for him to continue. 'I was wondering, why is it that you have the Slytherin Common Room in you home?' he finished and took a sip of his tea, burning the tip of his tongue in doing so.

Mrs. Figg narrowed her eyes and stared at him, a look of curiosity forming behind the dark slits.

'How exactly would a Gryffindor like yourself know the decor of the Slytherin's common room?", she asked tilting her head slightly to one side as she watched Harry squirm in his seat, and waited for his answer.

Why had he asked that? He hadn't even thought that she would notice he was from a different house, and now he would have to explain why he entered another common room illegally. Was she going to tell Dumbledore, and was he going to be in trouble or possibly expelled?

'Well?' she said louder, expecting an explanation.

'Please don't tell the Headmaster Mrs. Figg,' he started with pleading green eyes, glowing brighter than ever in the flickering light of the green flames. 'In second year, I snuck into the common room using Polyjuice potion, to try and find out if Draco Malfoy was the one who had opened the Chamber of Secrets,' he said quickly, hoping that if he spoke fast enough she might not understand it all.

'I see,' she said, a thin lipped smirk spreading across her lined face, reminding Harry of Malfoy's signature smirk. 'You must have broken a dozen school rules, five alone for brewing that advanced potion,' she added, staring across the table menacingly at him.

'Please, you won't tell him will you?' Harry pleaded once more, gripping the cushions of the couch tightly as he leaned toward the old woman.

'Of course not,' Mrs. Figg said with a short laugh, more at Harry than anything else, 'While I might have bled silver and green and wanted to turn in every lion I encountered, I've always had a great respect for the cunning. Something you clearly possess in great proportions, given half the adventures I've heard about you in your first five year at Hogwarts.'

'I don't understand,' Harry said lamely, looking confused and relieved all at once, knowing that he would not be in trouble with Dumbledore.

'I see why you weren't placed in Ravenclaw,' Mrs. Figg said with a snigger, as she made fun of Harry, who just sat there and crossed his arms. 'I was in Slytherin boy,' she said exasperatedly, the way that Hermione often did when explaining things to him and Ron. 'This room was modeled after my old common room,' she said, her eyes gliding around the room with what looked like pride.

'But, you're a Squib,' Harry said, looking at the old woman before him with shock, his arms now wrapped around him in the cold room, 'How could you have been at Hogwarts?'

'You really are quite dim, aren't you Potter?' a sneering cold voice came from beside Harry, making him jump out of his seat and look around wildly. 'And a coward too,' the all too familiar voice of Severus Snape filled the air.

Harry turned to see his greasy-haired, hook nosed professor's head bobbing lightly in the large silver grate.

'I'm not sure how you got into my Potions class again next year, not that it matters much. You won't last more than a week. Any papers with a grade less than Exceeds Expectations and you will be asked to leave the class,' Snape sneered will pleasure at the prospect of ridding Harry of a necessary course for his Auror training.

'Ah, just in time Severus, as always,' Mrs. Figg said turning her attention to the man's head, as the flames licked at his brow. 'I was just about to explain to young Potter here, how I came to be a Slytherin and a Squib,' she said, raising her eyebrows and staring at the Head of her old house.

'Always a pleasure Arabella, do go on,' Snape hissed quietly and stared at Harry through dark unblinking eyes, making him turn his gaze to Mrs. Figg quickly.

'Well Harry,' Mrs. Figg started, 'I got my Hogwarts letter just like everyone else when I was eleven years old, and on my first night there I was sorted with the rest of the students. I spent my first two years in Slytherin until the Chamber of Secrets was opened and a girl in my year was killed,' Mrs. Figg shook her head and sighed before continuing. 'As I was Muggle-born, my parents felt it unsafe to be at Hogwarts and removed me from the school, where I came to live in London and attended a Muggle school. I liked it so much that when the time came, I decided not to return to Hogwarts after Hagrid was expelled, and instead chose the life of a Squib. Many Muggle born students chose to do the same during the Dark Lord's first reign of terror,' she added as though it was common knowledge.

'I never knew,' Harry said quietly, 'and you don't miss doing magic?' he asked her, thinking of how utterly depressed he would be if he lost the chance to ever cast a spell again.

'I have never regretted a decision in my life,' Mrs. Figg said, lifting her head high and reminding Harry of Percy Weasley, 'Although I have to admit that making tea and cleaning house would be easier with a wand.'

'You would have made a fine witch,' Snape said from his place in the fire, 'just as all the other Slytherins always have,' he added, giving compliments to his own house of course, and glaring at Harry.

'Thank you Severus, now what new information do you have for me?' Mrs. Figg asked, a serious expression now set firmly on her face, 'Was Dumbledore able to find her?'

'Of course. It was not easy but you know I have my connections and I helped as much as possible,' the sallow skinned potions professor replied arrogantly.

'So she's agreed then. That's wonderful!' Arabella Figg said with a broad smile on her face, something Harry rarely saw. 'Does Lupin know yet?' she asked suddenly, the smile vanishing.

'No. Not yet. Dumbledore thought it unwise to mention it before the beginning of term,' Snape said coolly a grin now seeping across his face too.

He was clearly glad about something that would upset Lupin.

'Who has Dumbledore found?' Harry asked, unable to remain silent any longer while Snape relished in some secret kept from Harry's favorite DADA professor, 'And why can't professor Lupin know?'

Snape's smile vanished and the merry gleam in his eyes sunk back into the dark depths behind.

'That is none of your concern Potter. You best keep your nose out of the Order's business, but then again you always have meddled in things you could not even begin to understand. Just like your arrogant father,' Snape hissed through bared, yellow teeth.

The loathing Snape felt for Harry was nothing compared to how Harry felt about him. He said nothing but just glared at Snape with such hatred that his professor blinked and turned to Mrs. Figg.

'Well Arabella, as delightful as this has been, I'm afraid I must go and speak with, well you know,' he emphasized the last part to irritate Harry further, knowing how badly he would want to know who they were discussing.

'Thank you Severus. Same time on Thursday?' she asked him, and his head nodded from the roaring flames before disappearing altogether.

Mrs. Figg looked at Harry who sat opposite her seething with anger in his seat. The blood had rushed to his face making him redden like a strawberry in the cheeks, and he had his arms crossed in a sulky fashion.

'Now Potter, why don't you tell me how your summer has been so far,' she asked him trying to change the subject quickly from the unknown person discussed moments before.

'Fine' he answered, not wanting to discuss Sirius but knowing that that was what she had meant.

'I see,' she said and did not press any further, 'How about the Dursley's. Are they treating you half decently?' she asked, her face twisting in disgust at the thought of such horrible people.

'They're all right,' Harry answered truthfully, as they the Dursley's weren't treating him any worse then they had in previous years. 'Dudley and I actually seem to get along this summer, oddly, but I think he's just rebelling against his parents. He's even taken a fancy to a Muggle who knows all about Hogwarts and magic,' he added shaking his head in disbelief, as he could still hardly believe it himself.

'Ahh yes, Miss Brown's cousin I believe. Maria isn't that right?' Mrs. Figg asked him.

Unsurprised by her knowledge of what occurred in the neighbourhood, Harry nodded. If there was anyone who knew more about eavesdropping and spying on neighbours than aunt Petunia did, it was Mrs. Figg.

'Aunt Petunia has been acting oddly as well,' Harry told his old neighbor, 'She barely eats and always seems tired. She mentioned Voldemort the other day and seemed scared about it and for me, then just switched gears and went back to hating me. I just don't understand it,' Harry said shaking his head again and reaching out for another sip of his tea, knowing it would no longer scald him.

'Well of course, what do you expect silly boy,' the old woman sipped at her tea and waved her hands in the air like he was daft, 'Pregnant women rarely act normal.'


	3. Owls of OWL's

Chapter 3: Owls of O.W.L.'s

Harry sat staring, unblinkingly, at his old neighbor who continued to sip her tea peacefully and acted as though stranger things had occurred. Finally leaving his trance like state, Harry tried to say something but could not find the words, so he continued to sit, his mouth working wordlessly as thoughts raced through his head.

Pregnant! No, that's not possible; she's too old to have a baby. Besides, what did the Dursley'' need another child for, Dudley made up about three. Oh no, not another Dudley! This was going to be bad.

'Are you all right Potter?' Mrs. Figg's voice interrupted his thoughts, breaking into the moving wheel of ideas in his brain.

'Uhh, yeah, of course,' Harry tried to say casually, but found that his voice squawked rather than carried his now lowering tenor voice. Mrs. Figg stared at him unconvinced for a minute and then dawning realisation splayed across her old features for a moment before turning the corners of her mouth upward into a smile.

'You didn't know, Potter?' her stern but highly amused voice asked him, 'Not that I should be surprised. Mind you, I thought that the Dursley's would have loved to rub it in your face,' she continued to Harry's chagrin, 'All of Little Whinging have known for about seven months now, and I wouldn't be surprised if your aunt and uncle have broadcast it to all of Surrey.'

Mrs. Figg seemed to be really enjoying telling Harry all about this delightful bit of gossip that had died months ago for everyone else; she had moved closer to him as she spoke animatedly from the edge of her black leather seat. Harry did not stop her, but listened quietly from where he sat disbelievingly to all she had to tell him.

Half an hour later Harry trudged back down Magnolia Crescent, his eyes not taking in anything around him as he made his way back to the Dursley's. How could he not have noticed his aunt was pregnant!

Mrs. Figg had babbled on for twenty minutes about the addition soon to arrive in the Dursley home, leaving only about ten minutes for Harry to question her about the Order and whom Snape had meant. Of course he got nowhere, and learned nothing new.

He turned the corner to Privet Drive and stared down the nearly deserted road before continuing home under the noon sun, burning brightly overhead now. Seeing the man from number Seven pruning his wife's garden, Harry was reminded of his chores and decided to put the weeding off until the next morning after his and Dudley's run. Turning into the Dursley's driveway, he began walking up to the house, glancing around at the gardens and seeing how much work he would have the next morning.

Truthfully, Harry did not mind doing Petunia's weeding because it gave him a chance to work outside where he was away from his aunt and uncle. He made a point to grumble and complain about it at every chance he got though because if either of them ever found out that he felt anything less than hate toward his chore they would replace it with something worse. He saw that the weeds had begun to take over in the central garden but the two on either side of it were still in great condition. The grass was starting to get what uncle Vernon would call unacceptably wild, so he would have to trim that tomorrow as well.

Walking around to the back, Harry found a metal bar running across the center of aunt Petunia's flower trellis that would be perfect for doing chin-ups. He looked around to make sure that his aunt and uncle were nowhere within sight and reached up for the bar, lifting his legs and trying to pull his body up and down. Succeeding in doing only five chin-ups Harry set his feet back onto the ground and made his way around to the front of the house.

He walked in the front door and removed his sneakers quietly not wanting to bring attention to himself. He was quite sweaty, first from his run with Dudley and second just being out under that sun. He started to walk upstairs when he heard Dudley thumping down the hallway from the kitchen.

'Harry,' he whispered to get his cousin's attention, 'When you're done showering come over to my room, we can discuss the plan for later,' he said.

Harry noticed that Dudley was no longer wearing the bright yellow stretch suit and was quite thankful.

'Yeah sure Dud,' he answered from the staircase and turned to go up to the bathroom.

'Oh, and I left one of the big towels on the counter for you, if you like,' he called up before turning and entering the living room where he could watch his favourite game show: Funny Money.

Harry went straight into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Sitting on the counter was one of Dudley's custom-made extra extra large bath towels in a brilliant blue shade. Harry stripped down to his boxers and walked over to the large square mirror sitting above the pink porcelain sink.

His reflection stared back at him, tired and sweaty. His hair was ruffled worse than ever, as though high speed winds had decided to rush past his head only and what was left were bedraggled hair clumps sticking up in every which way. His chest remain flat except for the countable bumps that were his rubs sticking up under his milky white skin. Flexing, Harry stared disappointedly at his fifteen-year-old arms that still showed no sign of muscle. What was present on his right arm instead was a long white scar, reminiscent of his third encounter with the Dark Lord, in which he defeated a sixty foot Basilisk but not before suffering the pain of a foot long fang burying itself into his flesh and spreading it's poison quickly like wild fire through his veins.

Placing a hand on his forehead he lifted a tuft of hair and gazed at the other legendary scar left by the Dark Lord. The lightning bolt scar sat serenely on his forehead, looking like it had not been the cause of so many nightmares and searing hot wake up calls for the boy on which it resided. Letting his hair flop down onto his forehead, Harry looked momentarily into his mother's emerald green eyes before removing his glasses and turning to start the shower. Letting the hot water run onto his sore neck and down his back, Harry thought about his day and about what the rest of his summer would be like.

He wondered if and when aunt Petunia would let him know he had another cousin on the way. Then he tried to picture what it would look like; probably a fat little blob they named Fudley or something similar. Harry guffawed stupidly at the thought of aunt Petunia trying to carry a baby the size of a large beach ball in her bony arms.

After ten minutes of standing under the shower's warmth and pondering his summer life, Harry dried off and went back to his room to get changed. With a towel wrapped around his waist, Harry closed his bedroom door and walked over to his bureau to fetch his pyjamas from the bottom drawer. Just as he finished tying the drawstring on his bottoms, a loud clicking noise came from the window. Turning to see the source of the noise, Harry was surprised to see Hedwig outside the window, perched on the sill and tapping the glass persistently with her beak.

Harry had forgotten to open the window for Hedwig that morning in his haste to go running with Dudley. He wondered how long she had been sitting outside waiting for him to let her in. Once inside, she landed on his arm and nipped at his ear affectionately, making him feel guilty.

'I'm sorry Hedwig, I can't give you any owl treats because they're locked away with my other school things.' The snowy owl stopped nipping at her owner and jumped down onto the desk beneath the open window, extending a talon to reveal a brown bit of parchment.

Excitement flowed through Harry's body as he reached out to untie the letter; he had not received news from any of his friends since the end of school and was dying to hear from the wizarding world. Hedwig flapped her wings irritably at not receiving a treat after her long flight and hooted quietly as she settled on a perch inside her open cage.

Harry sat down on his bed and looked down at the scribbled name on the front of the letter, immediately recognizing Hermione's neat writing and opening it up.

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you? I hope you're sleeping all right. I'm sorry it took this long to write you.Dumbledore and Moody thought it best that we not interact just in case someone intercepts the owl. Not that I could tell you anything anyway, Ron and Ginny and I aren't allowed in the meetings still, in fact we aren't even near them anymore. Don't be angry though, I told Dumbledore that we couldn't leave you in the dark this time, so someone is going to come for you on August 1st. Make sure you're all packed up and ready to go by five o'clock. I hope all is well and Ron and I will see you halfway into August. I can't say why, but you'll see, it's very exciting. In the mean time, I'll make sure that Ron and I don't have any fun, and we'll see you soon Harry. Please don't do anything foolish._

_With love, Hermione_

_P.S. O.W.L results arrive in a week!_

Harry threw the letter down on his desk and turned to lie down on his bed. Why were Ron and Hermione somewhere together? More importantly, why without him? What did she mean they would see him halfway through August? Did that mean he was going to be kept somewhere alone, for two whole weeks?

Harry decided that he would much rather stay with the Dursley's than be isolated at Grimmauld Place, where all the fresh reminders of Sirius awaited him.

Harry gave a frustrated growl and shut his eyes to try and forget about the contents of Hermione's useless letter. There was absolutely no point in sending him a letter filled with riddles and mysteries, and then tell him not to do anything foolish. What was she thinking?

Clearing his mind of the wretched letter, Harry began thinking of the World Cup two summers before, and the dazzling performance by Viktor Krum, who had executed a perfect move called the Wrongsky Faint.

He watched from behind closed lids as the Bulgarian and Irish teams whipped around the pitch on Firebolts, playing one of the fiercest matches Harry had ever seen. The scene changed abruptly and what once was an open-aired Quidditch pitch, was now a large round anti-chamber in the deep recesses of the Department of Mysteries.

Harry watched in silent horror as Bellatrix Lestrange shouted the words that killed her cousin for the thousandth time in his mind, and then he heard the screams of Lupin and himself. Just as before, he was suddenly alone, staring at the stone dais that had just claimed his Godfathers body. Something was different though.

On the large grey slab of stone on which the veil fluttered casually, a girl sat with her head down. Her dark red hair flowed eerily in sync with the veil's fluttering fabric, and Harry could hear a soft sobbing as he watched her shoulders quiver.

'Ginny,' he called to her, in no more than a whisper. 'Are you alright? What are you doing here, you're supposed to be safe with the members of the Order.'

Harry started to walk toward her, and slowly reached out a hand to lay it on her shoulder. She slowly lifted her head and turned to face him. Harry was floored. It wasn't Ginny's chocolate brown eyes that stared back at him, but his own emerald green ones instead.

Lily Evans' sixteen-year-old face stared into her son's, as he stared back unable to speak. Harry had never seen a sadder expression in his life. His mother's eyes had lost much of their sparkle, and the gleam they offered was that of unshed tears. She blinked once and the tears fell, running down her already reddened face.

All of a sudden she lifted an arm and grabbed Harry's hand in her own.

'Harry,' she said in a low and terrified voice, nothing like what Harry had expected her to sound like. 'You have to help me,' she went on, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks and landing in her damp knotted hair below, 'he's already got James and Sirius, don't let him get me Harry!' She leaned forward toward Harry's now crouched figure and leaned into him. Harry lifted his arms and wrapped them tightly around his mother to comfort her.

'Don't worry, I'm not going to let Voldemort touch you,' Harry told her, with such resolve that she lifted her head and stared at him.

'Voldemort, he hasn't come near me, what would he want with me?' she asked quietly, a confused expression etched onto her features.

Harry was just as confused; who would have attacked them if Voldemort did not. 'Who is it that's trying to get you-' he started, but was abruptly cut off by Lily's look of terror as she was tugged away from him.

Harry watched, unable to move forward as hard as he tried to get to his mother, as a clawed hairy limb reached through the veil and grabbed the back of the screaming redhead's robes.

Harry saw the last flash of fear and desperation in Lily's eyes as she screamed one last time, 'You're the only one,' before disappearing through the veil and leaving the room deadly silent.

'Harry,' he heard his name called. He looked all around him, but the large chamber remained silent and empty.

'Harry,' the voice sounded again, slightly louder this time. Still no one walked through the entrance to the large round death room.

'HARRY!' Dudley's irritated voice reached Harry's brain causing him to open his eyes and stare up at his half annoyed and half concerned looking cousin.

'What do you want?' Harry asked his cousin in a less than polite voice, causing Dudley to punch him in the arm quite hard. Harry threw a hand over his left shoulder and rubbed it feverishly to try and lessen the throbbing pain.

'You were talking in your sleep again,' his cousin told him, 'but this time I could hear you all the way from in my room.' Dudley lowered his voice to a whisper before continuing, 'You were calling out to a girl named Ginny, and then you were saying 'who did this to you'. It was kinda scary, and I figured it couldn't a been too great on your side either.'

'Well it's not what you think,' Harry lied to his cousin. 'I was asking Ginny who had pulled a prank on her, that's all. I'm sure you remember her older brothers, from back in my fourth year. They gave you a certain toffee...,' he trailed off watching the red rise in Dudley's face, and the concern that had been shown completely vanished.

'Oh, well,' Dudley started to say, clearly trying to forget the incident with the Ton-tongue Toffee. 'So you were dreaming about a girl then, were you?' he suddenly turned on Harry and lifted and eyebrow inquisitively.

'Sod off!' Harry said, trying to frown, but succeeding in grinning widely instead.

'Fine, I just thought we could discuss the plan, but if you'd rather take another nap, that'd be fine too,' Dudley teased, knowing full well that Harry wanted his school things badly.

'Take a seat Dud,' Harry pointed to his bed and watched as his cousin lumbered over to it, and heard it creak under his weight as he sat down. Pulling his desk chair over to the bedside, he sat down facing his cousin and started to tell him about his plan.

The two spent the next hour talking about it, before Harry got sucked into telling Dudley all about Quidditch. They seemed to be getting along greatly as they laughed and talked, oblivious to the green eyes that watched them from a branch outside Harry's window.

Harry rolled onto his side in bed, and stared at the tiny alarm clock on his desk across the room: 12:34. It had been exactly one hour since he had heard uncle Vernon shut off the television downstairs and then lumber up the stairs behind aunt Petunia, and open his bedroom door to ensure that he was sleeping, before heading into their bedroom.

Harry flung his blankets off and slowly got out of bed, placing his feet on the floorboards that did not creak, ensuring that his uncle would not wake. Moments later he heard the sound of his doorknob turning over and then watched as Dudley's creeping form waddled in through the open door.

'You ready?' Dudley whispered, barely audible.

Harry nodded in agreement and walked to the door, poking his head around the corner to see that the coast was clear. Listening hard, he heard no strange sounds; just the regular and deafening snores emanating from his aunt and uncle's room.

Creeping down the hallway, Harry watched as Dudley followed him, making sure to step where he had so not to creak. They had decided this to be the best course of action, as Dudley had never needed to sneak around the house and therefore had never taken the time to notice which stairs creaked and which did not.

Stealthily making their way down the stairs, Harry and Dudley both held their breath for a moment when Vernon's rhythmic snoring ceased. That's it; they were caught! A loud cough filled the air and to Harry's immense relief, the snoring started up again. Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry reached the hallway landing and watched as Dudley slowly made his way down to his side.

They walked through the shadows of the kitchen and Harry looked into the living room, interested by the eery look of the house at night.

Reaching the cupboard, Harry turned to Dudley, 'Did you get it?' He watched as Dudley fumbled in his pocket for a moment and then produced the small silver key to the lock on the cupboard.

Grabbing it from Dudley's hand, he slipped it into the lock and turned it slowly to the left. CLICK! Yes! The lock popped open and Harry removed the latch and swung the door open. Dudley stood guard at the bottom of the stairs as Harry quietly flipped the latches on his trunk and lifted the lid to a resting position. There he saw all of his textbooks and wizarding possessions in a tangled mess, just as uncle Vernon had left them.

Reaching in, he pulled out a couple bottles of ink, his Potions, Charms and Transfiguration texts, several rolls of parchment, and finally one of his favorite magazines. This would have to do for now. Placing the things on the ground, Harry resealed his trunk and then closed and locked the cupboard door, leaving no traces that he had ever been there. He gathered his things and the boys crept back up the stairs and back to their respective bedrooms, Dudley flashing a thumbs-up before disappearing into his bedroom and closing the door.

Harry looked at his clock. It had only taken them twenty minutes to execute the perfected plan without a hitch. Now he could finish his summer assignments and even show Snape up by doing really well on his essay. Placing the ink and parchment on his desk, he turned around and slid the books under his bed, and the magazine under his pillow.

From his crouched position next to his bed, Harry looked out the window and froze. Two bright green eyes just like his and his mother's were staring right back at him. He blinked a few times to make sure that he was seeing correctly, and when he looked again the eyes were gone. Maybe he was just really tired.

He decided that writing Hermione and doing his assignments would just have to wait until the next morning, after his run with Dudley and when he was done weeding the gardens. He did decide to send away for his sixth year books though. He did not want to wait for those.

Pulling out a short piece of parchment, Harry scribbled a note to Flourish and Blott's, asking them to send all the sixth year texts they had, as well as any additional ones they thought might be useful in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. This was the best he could do, as he had not yet received his Hogwarts letter, containing his new booklist.

He didn't even know if he had passed all of his courses, but he did know from his brief encounter with Snape that he made it into his N.E.W.T's Potions course. He told the shopkeeper to charge the price to his Gringott's vault and then tied it to Hedwig's leg. She nipped at him cheerfully and he laughed before sending her soaring out the window and toward Diagon Alley.

Harry removed his joggers and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. Closing his eyes he thought about the look on Snape's face when he could no longer insult Harry's Potion's work, and hoped with all his might that he would not see his mother's tormented face again in his dreams.

The next few days passed slowly and then turned into weeks. The only news Harry received from the wizarding world had been the morning after his request for books was sent. He had awoken at half past five in the morning to receive the loads of books he had ordered, so heavy in his sixth year that they were tethered to no less than eight eagle owls and Hedwig.

The summer holidays were beginning to trickle away, and for once Harry was not in any rush to leave the Dursleys. Every evening after making dinner, his new permanent chore given to him by his aunt, who felt too tired to cook, Harry would go up to his room and read his Potions textbook. He had never known so much about the subject and now found that he was very much interested in it. It was hard to learn and enjoy the course when the professor is as intolerable a Snape, Harry decided. If he continued to read every evening, he would be done his Potions, and Transfiguration text cover to cover, and he would be a term ahead in Charms.

Also, every morning he and Dudley went running and they would meet up with Maria, who as always flirted with Dudley and spoke about the wizarding world openly. It was as though Harry was back at school among friends. This was what he had always wanted.

On the morning of July 31st Harry was awoken, as usual, by Dudley smothering him with a pillow.

'Gerroff, gerroff,' he mumbled pulling another pillow up from beside him and whacking Dudley in the side of the head with it. Dudley, who had not expected this, stumbled back a bit before whacking him back and starting an all out pillow fight.

Ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting out of breath on Harry's bedroom floor, bathed in the warm sunlight that filtered through the window above his desk.

'Well, should we go then,' Harry asked flushed in the cheeks. He stood up and pulled on a pair of shorts this morning, and his regular grey T-shirt.

The T- shirt seemed to fit more tightly now around his chest and arms, something he could not explain. It had only been three and a half weeks since their first training day, yet both he and Dudley were seeing amazing, but impossible results. When Harry flexed in the mirror, his long white scar now wrapped tightly around a bulging bicep and his milky skin had been replaced by a bronzed tan. His flat stomach was now replaced by the beginnings of abdominals and his ribs no longer showed through his skin so dominantly. Even Harry's legs were stronger from all of the running he had been doing, but none of it made sense. The crunches at the park and the chin-ups on the flower trellis could not have been enough to do this.

If Harry had thought his results were amazing, then Dudley's were phenomenal! He seemed to have lost the weight of two large children and looked leaner than ever. He wore navy joggers and a grey T-shirt like Harry's, as the yellow stretch suit no longer fit. The only explanation Harry could offer was that he had once again influenced something through his accidental magic.

'Uh, yeah. Sure thing Harry,' Dudley said, 'But I uh, wanted to give you this first,' Harry watched as Dudley reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in shiny gold paper and topped with a bow. He held it out toward him, 'Happy Birthday Harry!'

Harry was shocked. He and Dudley were becoming closer, slowly, but he never would have thought that his cousin would remember his birthday, let alone give him a gift! He stepped forward cautiously, in case it was some sort of prank, and took the gift from Dudley, eyeing it suspiciously.

'Oh, go on, open it,' Dudley prodded him, 'I wrapped it myself. It's nothing huge, just thought you might like it.'

Harry unwrapped the tiny parcel and found himself holding a tattered blue velvet box with hinges. Opening it up slowly, he was stunned to see the sparkling gift inside.

Hidden within the folds of blue satin, sat a gleaming silver pendant. Harry lifted the pendant from the material to inspect it and found that his name was etched in miniscule curly writing on the back, 'Harry James potter', and the front was emblazoned with a roaring lion, its large mane and teeth conveying its strength. The pendant hung on a long silver chain and twirled, gleaming as the sunlight hit it, while Harry held up in front of his face.

'But Dudley, you love this pendant. I don't think I've ever seen you take it off,' Harry said, handing the gift back to his cousin. 'Thanks Dud, it means a lot to me but I couldn't possibly accept it.'

'You're not gettin' mine,' Dudley said flatly as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a long silver chain bearing an identical pendant. Turning it over for Harry to inspect, he read, 'Dudley Stuart Dursley, see?'

'Then where did you get this one?' Harry asked, accepting his birthday gift from Dudley once more.

'Well, while I was looking through mum's room last year, I found it in a box under her bed. I knew she had it, because she told me that if something ever happened to mine, I could just have yours and they'd reengrave it,' he explained.

'What do you mean mine?' Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at his cousin.

'Well, apparently when you were left here, your parents left this with you too. Mum said it was from your mum when you were born, once,' Dudley explained, 'I think that's where she got the idea to give me mine for my fifth birthday.'

Harry wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment. He was more than upset that his aunt had not given him a belonging left to him by his mother, but he was also overjoyed that Dudley had given it to him and that now he had it.

'Thank you so much,' Harry said, running up to Dudley and hugging him quickly, something he had never done before, although if he had tried a month ago his arms would not have fit all the way around.

He backed up and pulled the chain over his head letting the pendant drop into his T-shirt. He felt the pleasantly cool feeling of the metal touch his skin, and the comforting weight of it on his chest. He swore to himself that he would never remove it unless absolutely necessary. He was not going to lose the only gift his mother had ever given him.

'Well guess we better get goin' then,' Dudley said, slapping Harry on the back and making him wince in pain, 'Maria'll think we stood her up.'

Harry and Dudley walked out the front door and into the warm morning sun, heading toward the driveway where they could do their stretches. Harry looked around the street as he stretched the muscles in one of his legs and saw that Mr. Wilson was walking away from them with Sparty trotting at his side. It seemed that as the weather warmed up, more and more people were waking earlier to get their errands done. The Hannigans, two doors down, had been out of the house all week by half past six and Harry supposed they did their groceries and banking then.

Harry looked up and noted that there wasn't a cloud in the pale orange sky. The sun was just coming over the rooftops in the distance and he had to shield his eyes with his hand. Nothing in the sky threatened to ruin the nice weather, and he could tell that it was going to be a scorching hot day, probably the hottest they had seen yet.

Dudley was laying on the Dursley's front lawn, grunting as he did his crunches and counting aloud to himself, "forty three, forty four, forty five". The boys finished their warm-ups and headed off to find Maria, hoping she had waited for them. As their feet pounded down the pavement of Privet Drive, Harry felt his new pendant bouncing under his shirt and smiled to himself.

This was the best birthday he had ever had.

An hour later, the two boys jogged slowly back down Privet Drive alone, having parted with Maria at the corner of Magnolia Crescent as usual. They were both slightly panting, and Harry was as scarlet as the Gryffindor common room in the face. They had never run for quite so long before, but as it was Harry's birthday he thought it would be a good day to see how far he could really go.

Dudley had done amazingly, not falling behind Harry and Maria even once the whole way. Harry still could not explain the drastic change in his cousin's appearance, but he had to admit he looked healthier than he ever had. Dudley was just over one hundred and ninety pounds now, something that had not gone unnoticed by aunt Petunia.

'I told you the diet would work, Duddikins,' she preened almost every night at the dinner table, still barely eating anything herself.

She had started to gain weight and her belly was really bulging now, but still Harry remained silent, hoping that maybe she would tell him before he left for school on the first of August.

Harry and Dudley stopped in front of number Four and sat down on the front lawn to do their warm-down exercises, Harry doing crunches now, and Dudley doing leg raises.

'So, what do you want for your birthday dinner, Harry?' Dudley asked, looking over at him from where he sat on the grass next to him, 'Tell me what you want, and I'll tell mum that I really want whatever it is.'

'But, it's my job to do the cooking now, remember,' Harry told his cousin between breaths as he continued with his sit-ups.

'I'll just tell her that you'd screw it up and that I really want her to make it,' Dudley said, shrugging his shoulders and asking Harry what his favorite meal was again.

'I really like the chicken she makes in that goopy orange sauce. You know the one I'm talking about, you used to drink the leftover sauce when you thought she wasn't looking,' Harry answered, and they both started laughing aloud. 'But really Dud, it's no big deal. Besides I don't want her to work to hard; she could hurt the baby, couldn't she?' he asked before he could think about it.

Dudley stopped laughing and sat bolt upright. Oh no, now he had done it. Why had he mentioned the baby!

'How do you know about the baby?' Dudley asked, narrowing his eyes at Harry and watching him closely to tell if he was lying or not in his answer.

'Mrs. Figg told me,' Harry answered casually, trying to deflate the seriousness. 'You did know, didn't you?' he added, flipping the questioning to his cousin.

'Of course I did, why do you think I've been so upset! Do you know how old they are? What are they doin' havin' another baby? It's disgustin'!' Dudley spat.

'It won't be that bad, besides you're away at school ten months of the year anyway,' Harry reminded him as he flipped onto his stomach to start doing some push-ups.

'Yeah, well I never asked for a little sister, so they better not expect me to baby-sit her,' Dudley grumbled, as he too flipped over and started his push-ups.

'Sister?' Harry said in surprise, then laughed and collapsed as he pictured a beach ball with pigtails.

Since Mrs. Figg had told him that aunt Petunia was pregnant, he had simply assumed that it would be a boy, a boy just like Dudley. Now Harry cringed. He was picturing her as she got older as a larger version of Pansy Parkinson. What a nightmare!

'Don't worry Dud, I won't say anything to your parents,' Harry assured his cousin as they gathered their water bottles and headed in for lunch.

After a brief shower relaxed his tense neck and shoulder muscles, Harry decided that now would be a good time to skip ahead with his Potions reading, leaving the evening of his birthday free.

Perhaps aunt Petunia would tell him about the baby tonight, as an excuse not to make dinner, Harry thought as he leaned over the edge of his bed and pulled his text out from under it.

Harry examined the cover of his new sixth year text. It was black, no big surprise as Snape had issued it, with large crimson lettering running across the front: Advanced Potions and Brewing Techniques for the Gifted. Flipping through the pages half-heartedly, he fell onto the right page and began reading.

_Page 297, The Timeless Draft: The Timeless draft is one of the most potent, and very legally restricted Potions still in use in the wizarding world presently. With one portion shortly segmented Dragon heart-string, one part Unicorn's blood, and the tail-hair of a Centaur, one can see why such a potion is classified as such. If the brewer has in fact procured all of these items, and is not a renowned alchemist, it is still quite likely that they will fail miserably in producing the draft. A keen sense of measurement and impeccable timing, are the two main factors owing to the draft only ever being successfully brewed twice in the last century. See p. 711 for details on Nicholas Flamel, alchemist and sorceror, Order of Merlin First Class._

Harry read on, not believing the difficult instructions set for the draft. It seemed that even Professor Snape, Talented as he thought he was, could not brew the said potion, and that made Harry feel good for some reason.

He continued until he reached the bottom of the page and read the uses and applications in the wizarding world.

_The Timeless Draft is not used commonly, as above it is described as quite illegal and practically impossible to create. If miraculously you manage to brew the thin blue substance, two sips would be enough to seemingly halt time long enough for a person to move about as they please, and inflict irreparable damage to the existing timeline. CAUTION: The draft will last fifteen minutes, in which the user's internal systems are sped up to one thousand times quicker, aging the user differently than the outside world._

'No wonder the stuff's restricted,' Harry thought aloud. Then he shuddered, thinking of the damage Voldemort could cause if he tried to brew the time changing substance. Perhaps he had tried, and failed, or perhaps he did not know of it. Either way, it made Harry very uneasy when he thought of it.

Page by page, Harry read on, Brew of Weightlessness, Roaring Cauldron, a potion that eliminated the brewer's fears for a set time, also illegal he noted. He read his text and made scribbled notes on a roll of parchment, using a ballpoint pen, so not to spill ink on his comforter.

At a quarter past six there was a knock on his bedroom door, and he looked up to see Dudley not wait for him to answer, but just let himself in instead.

'Dinner time Harry,' he told his cousin, a suspiciously satisfied grin spread across his face.

'What have you done?' Harry asked Dudley, looking him up and down to see if he was hiding something.

'Come on, you'll see!' he said excitedly before turning on his heels and heading back down the stairs three at a time.

Harry put his text back under his bed, and walked down the stairs to kitchen, where he received the most unexpected shock of his life. The kitchen was decorated with birthday streamers, a cake sit on the kitchen counter top, and both his aunt and uncle were wearing birthday hats! Harry could not believe his eyes.

He slowly entered the kitchen and took his seat, across from uncle Vernon and between Dudley and his aunt. Petunia was tight-lipped and paler than usual, while Vernon was a brilliant shade of puce that Harry had never seen before and had thought impossible to achieve for a human face. His moustache quivered as his upper lip twitched, and he continued to glare at his nephew, hatred clearly conveyed.

Harry looked up at Dudley uncomfortably and saw him smiling back at him. He smiled back, realising that it had been Dudley that set all of this up for him, and that the least he could do is have fun at his own birthday party. He smiled largely at the entire family and then reached over to spoon some orange chicken onto his plate, almost knocking over the milk jug as he reached.

'Ahem,' he heard Dudley clear his throat forcefully and looked up to see him glaring at his parents pointedly.

'Uh, Happy Birthday Harry,' uncle Vernon's voice came out in a low, forced tone as he continued to glare, only fixing a false smile onto his face when Dudley looked up at him.

'Yes, well, Happy Birthday then,' aunt Petunia also told him, handing him a small wrapped gift box with no bow.

'Thank you,' Harry said not knowing how to react.

He had never seen the Dursley's react like this before. What had Dudley done to get them to play along, and treat Harry like a civilized human being? Harry pocketed the small package and started to eat, avoiding eye contact with anyone but Dudley, and trying his hardest to make normal conversation.

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Dudley were sitting back up in Harry's room, having just lived through what Harry thought to be the most uncomfortable dinner he had ever had. When the chicken was done, Dudley had insisted that they all sing Happy Birthday and wait for Harry to blow out the candles on his cake. It was all Harry could do not to laugh as he watched hi aunt and uncle's faces as they sang the familiar birthday song to the one person, he was sure, they would least like to have sang for. He even heard uncle Vernon mutter, 'I'll make a bloody wish!' barely under his breath.

Harry and Dudley spent the rest of his birthday playing chess and reading the Quidditch magazine he had snuck out of his trunk the other night.

Around midnight, Harry sat at his desk, finally ready to send a reply to Hermione, while Dudley lay on his bed staring at pictures of the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the frames, passing the quaffle back and forth to one another.

Harry was extremely annoyed. His birthday had come and gone, and neither of his best friends had remembered to send an owl. What, were they too busy learning about the Order, and laughing about him stuck all alone in Privet Drive?

_Hermione,_

_I hope everything is all right with you and your best friend. I've been good. Dudley and I celebrated my birthday today, but I guess you were too busy having fun with Ron to remember. Well I'm not an idiot, so I won't do anything rash like you thought. See you when I see you, _

_Harry_

He threw his quill down, splashing ink on the top of his desk, and tied the short piece of parchment tightly to Hedwig's leg. She could tell that Harry was not in good humor and nipped at his ear affectionately before taking off out the window and into the inky black sky.

Harry sat back down in a huff and started to dap at the droplets of ink that had sprayed all over his desk with a tissue.

'So, did nobody else send you anything Harry?' Dudley asked, having noticed his little fit.

'No, and I don't really want to talk about it' Harry snapped at his cousin. He looked up and saw the lookon Dudley's hurt face. 'Sorry, Dud. It's just that they've never forgotten, and now they're off somewhere having fun without me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the summer here running with you and all, but it's just not the same,' he finished and sighed sadly.

'Well, I can't fix that,' Dudley said thoughtfully, 'but Maria was wondering if you and I wanted to go to a race with her next weekend. I told her I'd ask you, but that you'd probably say yes.'

'That sounds grea-' Harry started to say, but then stopped realising what tomorrow was. 'Dud, I can't. I completely forgot to tell you, I'm leaving tomorrow at five o'clock. Someone's coming to pick me up so I can go back to school.'

'What!' Dudley cried, 'You don't start school for another month,' he shouted at Harry. 'What do ya need a whole month for? It hasn't been that bad a summer, has it?' he went on, making Harry feel bad for not telling him sooner.

'I'll be back next summer, and in the mean time you can keep up the running and stuff with Maria,' he tried to change the subject and cheer his cousin up, who was now standing a few feet away from him. 'Oh, and I want you to keep that magazine, all right. You looked like you were enjoying it, but just don't let your mum find it!' Harry warned.

'Thanks Harry!' Dudley said, frogetting about his leaving and picking the magazine back up to watch the tiny men and women on brooms, zoom around again.

That night Harry read his Potions book for a little while longer, after Dudley had left, and then he moved on to his Transfiguration text. Kittens to Lions, Goblets to Monkeys, Rearranging Facial Features, all of the new sixth year components.

Reading about the twisted facial changes, Harry was reminded of Tonks, the Metamorphmagi and Auror, who could change her appearance at will. What a neat trick he thought, and laughed to himself as he pictured the look on Malfoy's face if he saw him look like Mad Eye Moody. Then he laughed harder as he remembered two years before, when the gnarled and disfigured Defense professor had turned the slimy git into a white ferret and bounced him around the Great Hall for all to see.

Harry drifted off to sleep with images of the bouncing ferret playing in his mind, while the haunting image of his mother's desperately terrified face waited for him in his nightmares, for no one else to see.

The next morning Harry was not woken in the regular fashion, by Dudley smothering him with a pillow, but by a light tapping sound at the window. He opened his eyes blearily and blinked a few times to try and wake up. He was shocked to see the far wall perfectly clear and haze free.

Reaching up to rub his eyes, he realised that he had fallen asleep with his galsses on, and his books and parchment were still scattered all over the bed. He gathered them up and placed them back under his bed, before making his way over to the window to let Hedwig in.

He was surprised to see three owls perched on the windowsill, all waiting patiently with parchment tied to their legs. As soon as the window was open the owls rushed inside and each held out their talons, trying to be the first to deliver their message.

Harry removed the letter from the first brown barn owl Harry assumed was just a courier, and found that there were two. Looking at the front of the first letter, he instantly recognized McGonagall's familiar green scrawl on his Hogwarts letter, turning it over to see the Hogwarts crest sealed onto the back with purple wax. The second letter was thicker and Harry did not recognize the handwriting on the front. He realised that the envelope must be carrying his O.W. L results.

Placing the letters to the side, he turned to the second owl, who he instantly recognized to be Errol, Percy Weasley's decrepit owl. The old owl swayed on the spot and Harry realised that it really was a miracle that he had remembered where to go. He wondered what Percy could want from him, especially after the way he treated him last year; telling Ron that Harry was a bad influence and that he could be violent and dangerous. Harry threw this letter down with the previous two, and turned to Hedwig, who remained still, clearly wanting to demonstrate that she was the most professional owl of the three. He removed the letter from her leg and was overjoyed to see the messy scribbled writing indicative of Hagrid.

Placing all four letters on his bed, Harry went to the bathroom quickly and came back with a dish of water for the messengers. From a seated position on his bed, he watched two of the owls drink from the water dish, while Errol perched himself in Hedwig's cage for a nap.

Harry reached for his Hogwarts letter first, deciding that it was the easiest one to read, and that his new book list would tell him whether or not he had passed his courses. He tore the seal open and began to read the neat curling green ink that danced across the page;

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is pleased to inform you that you will begin your sixth year courses promptly on the first of September. Please ensure that you are at King's Cross Station a quarter to nine and waiting on platform nine and three quarters for the Hogwarts Express. Enclosed is the list of sixth year supplies you will need for your upcoming courses. We hope you are having a wonderful summer holiday and hope to see you safe and sound in the castle upon the start of term._

_Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall_

At the bottom of the letter Harry found a small personal note scribed by the old Transfiguration professor herself.

_Congratulations Harry! I'm so proud of you. You're well on your way to becoming an Auror now. Just __keep your studies up, and we'll discuss it further when you arrive at the castle._

_Professor McGonagall_

Harry wasn't sure what she had meant by that, but it definitely sounded like good news, something that Harry did not receive in bundles. Scanning the second page, Harry saw what books and supplies he would need for his sixth year.

_Each sixth year student is to have the following supplies: two size five standard pewter cauldrons, ink, quills, and spare parchment_

_The following books will be required: _

_N.E.W.T. Transfiguration and Introductory Metamorphmagi by, Aphrodite Tonks Advanced Charms and Illusionment, by Leopold Camilia Seeing the Signs and Learning to Avoid Them, by Tuscanny Wilderdream Advanced Potions and Brewing Techniques for the Gifted, by Newt Scamander The Unforgivables and Some Not So Bad, by Sylvania Blockhard Technology Today, What's it Good For?, by Dot Ramfield An Advanced Guide to Herbology: Trimming the Weeds, by Ernest Dandilily Soaring High: A Guide to Magical Winged Creatures, by Skyler Wingdinger _

Harry was glad to see that he had passed most of his courses, but was still unsure about others as he would not be continuing in them one way or the other. He had received these books weeks ago, plus countless other ones that he knew would come in handy later on.

Maybe he could give the Arithmancy and Ancient runes texts to Hermione.

He decided that he had put it off long enough; it was time to see how he had done on his O.W.L's. He ripped the envelope open and pulled out seven seperate gold letters. He tore them all open to find the following grades:

_2 Outstanding OWL's in Intermediate and Advanced Transfiguration_

_2 Outstanding OWL's in Intermediate and Advanced Charms_

_2 Outstanding OWL's in Intermediate and Advavced Care of Magical Creatures_

_1 Exceeds Expectations OWL in Intermediate Herbology_

_1 Exceeds Expectations OWL in Intermediate Astronomy_

_1 Exceeds Expectations OWL in Intermediate Potions_

_1 Acceptable OWL in Intermediate Divination_

_1 Acceptable OWL in Beginners History of Magic_

Harry stared at his results, his face somewhat crestfallen. He hadn't failed any of his courses, not even History of Magic which he was sure he had completely failed, having passed out during the exam. Perhaps the examiners had given him the OWL out of pity. Either way he would accept it.

He had received eleven OWL's, not a very bad number at all, but he scanned the certificates once more and found that he had not received any OWL's for Defense against the Dark Art's, the course he was sure he had aced.

Looking inside the large envelope once more, Harry found one last message stuck in the bottom. He tore the larger envelope right down the center and pulled out the eighth and last envelope, this one black as night. He lifted the top, pulled out the parchment inside and read:

_Harry James Potter, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_We the examiners for the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, award Harry Potter with 3 Outstanding OWL's in Intermediate, Advanced, and Special Categories Defense Against the Dark Arts._

_We would also like to convey our congratulations to Mr. Potter for scoring the new highest Defense score in all of the wizarding schools to date, taking the title away from the contender who has held it for the last nineteen years, and to let him know that we are both excited and anxious to see what he has for his NEWT's seventh year._

_Sincerely, the Board of Examiners_


	4. Transporting Dudley

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**A/N:** Hey everyone! Glad to see you're still enjoying the story, and I'm trying to keep the chaps coming at a steady pace. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I really do hope to see a ton of reviews. It really is great to hear what you all think of it. Thanks again to all those of you who have reviewed thus far, and to answer the Time Travel question it won't occur until chapter 15: A Day To Remember, but don't worry because I think it's worth the wait. Enjoy : D Kyle

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**Chapter 4: Transporting Dudley**

Harry was ecstatic! He had scored the highest mark ever in Defense, and he now had fourteen O.W.L.'s.

He couldn't believe it. Surely Hermione would have gotten more O.W.L.'s than him, but not in Defense.

Gathering all of the tiny gold certificates, Harry lifted the secret floorboard and placed his marks in the special tin of valued items.

It took him several minutes of daydreaming and practicing all the ways he could stall Hermione from finding out how many O.W.L.'s he had received, before finally being able to concentrate and turn to the next letter in his pile. Percy's or Hagrid's, Harry could not decide so he simply closed his eyes and reached for the one on the top of the pile. It was Percy Weasley's.

Harry was quite hesitant toward opening this one, and treated it much like a Howler, holding it at arms length away and carefully opening it, afraid that it might explode and fill the air with rude comments and arrogant statements. Given the way Percy had spoken about him and his own family the year before, Harry found it quite bold of the young wizard to even expect him to open it.

As the top was peeled away carefully, Harry found that no steam escaped but a small piece of folded parchment did glide gently out of the envelope and landed neatly on the floor between his feet. Relieved for the moment that Percy was not trying to intimidate him with a shouting message, Harry picked up the letter and brought it closer to his face for reading, noting that the sender's name was actually senders' names. It was addressed to Harry Potter, Number Four Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey, The smallest bedroom on the second floor. Then the letter said care of Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater, a name Harry matched to the very pretty brown-haired Head Girl of Hogwarts two years before, and Percy's girlfriend.

Harry scanned the letter and was surprised and relieved to learn of Percy's reconciliation with the other Weasley's, although he was still undecided on whether the red-haired Ministry employee deserved their forgiveness or not.

_Dear Harry,_

_I do hope you will accept my deepest apology for my inexcusable actions this past year. I realise now how severely I must have offended you, and hope that you have it in your heart to forgive me. I will also have you know that I am no longer working at the Ministry of Magic, as it was not the place for me after all, and that I have reconciled with my parents and siblings after much begging and apologising. I once again appologise for taking so long to come to my senses, and hope that you understand that I am once again fully behind you in everything that you have said about, well you know. I will leave it at that, and both Penelope and I will keep our fingers crossed in hopes that you will be at The Nest in two weeks time. It would not be the same without you. You are after all practically a Weasley._

_Sincerely, Percival Alfred Weasley_

Harry was glad to hear that Percy was once again seeing Penelope, who, as he remembered was a wonderfully level-headed and clever witch that had little trouble in keeping her boyfriend in check. He was however confused by the latter part of the letter, in wich Percy said that he hoped he would see him at The Nest, something Harry had never before heard of.

Running a hand across his forehead, Harry lifted the empty envelope and found that it was, in actuality, still half-full. He reached into the large brown envelope and pulled out the other half of the older Weasley's message, removing what turned out to be a stylish blue and gold card, emblazoned with Ravenclaw's eagle and Griffindor's lion. Opening the expensive looking card, Harry began reading the invitation and understood immediately why both Percy's and Penelope's names had been on the first letter.

_Mrs. Molly Livian Weasley and Mr. Arthur Ferdinand Weasley are proud to announce the engagement of their son Percival Arthur Weasley to Penelope Anne Clearwater, daughter to Mrs. Beatrice Ellen Clearwater and Mr. Collin Nedward Clearwater, on the sixteenth of August._

_Harry James Potter is cordially invited to the ceremony at 12:00 on August sixteenth at the Hogs Nest, in Hogsmeade Village. It is requested that he be at the Hogs Nest the evening prior to the ceremony as he has been chosen as one of the groomsmen. If he chooses to accept the duty, it is requested that an owl be sent to Percival Weasley within two days time. Further instructions will be sent by post upon doing so._

Harry laid the letter down on his desk with the others and stared out the window in amazement. This was by far the largest surprise yet! Percy was getting married, and he wanted Harry, to whom he had appologised for the first time in the same letter, to be one of his groomsmen. What nerve.

Harry could not decide whether he was upset with his best friend's older brother, or whether he was happy for him, and he most certainly was not in any mood to become one of his groomsmen, and with such little notice.

Choosing to accept Percy's apology, Harry would go to the wedding and be a part of it as a gesture of good faith in his renewed attitude. Besides, Ron would more than likely be there as well.

Pulling out another piece of parchment, Harry started to scribble a quick reply to Percy, letting him know that he would indeed attend as a groomsmen, but that he would have to send Hedwig back with further instructions, as after today he would no longer be staying with the Dursley's. He tied the brief note to snowy owl's leg and told her to wait for Percy to give him a response before coming to find him at Grimmauld Place, and he told her exactly how to get there so that she would not be affected by the Fidelius Charm on the large house.

After watching Hedwig fly off once more with a message to the wizarding world, Harry picked up Hagrid's letter and pocketed it, unable to receive any more good or bad news at the moment. He would read it later when things had calmed down, and he was trying his hardest to look comfortable at number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

He stalked out of his tiny room after ensuring that everything he would need was packed and ready to go, when whoever it was came to get him at five o'clock, and sadly, it all fit into a small plastic sack.

The day whirled by as he and Dudley first went running with Maria, and explained why Harry could not attend the race, before then they went home and made themselves a breakfast of eggs and sausages.

Aunt Petunia had not come down this morning; apparently she was mysteriously suffering from a sick stomach these days. Harry smiled at his uncle knowingly when he told him this, and continued to make his breakfast as Dudley grimaced next to him while buttering a toast. Clearly no one was going to tell him about the pregnancy before he left, so he would simply have to meet his new cousin when he arrived the following summer.

'Oh, Uncle Vernon,' Harry called after his uncle who had started to walk back toward the stairs with the intention of caring for his bedridden wife, 'I just thought you should know I was leaving today.'

Uncle Vernon's waddling form stopped dead and he turned slowly to face the boys. 'Where is it that you are going?' he hissed quietly, 'and how exactly are you getting there?'

Harry knew uncle Vernon was afraid that wizards were going to blow his living room to pieces again like before his fourth year, and he could see the cogs and springs working behind his fat purple face.

'I'll be going to the same place as I did last year, at five o'clock, and they'll be sending someone to get me,' Harry said, relishing the look of horror on his uncle's twitching face, before turning back to his breakfast.

'Fine, just don't you come upstairs. And tell whoever it is that comes to wait for you at the door! I'll not have them traipsing through my home and hurting my family,' Vernon shouted, having regained composure, before stomping up the stairs slowly, one at a time.

Harry and Dudley spent the rest of the day in the outdoors, either exercising in the back yard or conversing in the front, until five o'clock seemed to rush right at them. They went inside and Dudley once again produced the key for the cupboard under the stairs so that Harry could remove his school things.

While Dudley waited downstairs, Harry crept upstairs as quickly as he could to grab his wand and Hedwig's cage. He gave one last sweep over his room to ensure that he had not left anything behind, and let his eyes fall on his bureau where the second drawer was slightly open. Walking over to it, he opened it all the way as was relieved to find his photo album. 'Can't forget that', he told himself as he walked out of the tiny room and back down the stairs.

Upon arriving at the base of the stairs, Harry was surprised to see Dudley shaking hands with a tall sandy-haired wizard and introducing himself to a witch with violently pink hair.

'Professor Lupin, Tonks!' Harry cried as he rushed over to meet the two, who were now smiling broadly back at him.

'How are you Harry?' Lupin asked him, giving him a bear hug in the entranceway. 'And I told you to call me Remus. I haven't been your professor for almost three years now,' he added laughing.

'I'm great professor. I mean, well let me work on the first name thing.'

'Good to see you again Harry!' Tonks said to him, twisting a finger in her waist length bubble gum coloured hair. 'Are you all packed then?' she asked, pulling out her wand and heading toward the staircase, ready to do his packing for him like the last time.

'No Tonks, don't go upstairs!' Harry said quickly, throwing himself in front of her and blocking the staircase from use. 'Uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia are both up there, so I already brought my things down see?' and he pointed to his trunk and the extra pile of textbooks teetering on the top of it.

'Whoa Harry, did you buy out the whole book store?' Tonks teased, as she ran her hand down the pile of books, counting each volume as she went. 'I'll tell you, I never read half those books and I was top of my class!' she said proudly, blowing a large bubble with her Tangerine Toffee.

'There are a lot of books here-' Lupin started, narrowing his eyes at Harry, who looked away quickly, '-that are not in your required course load.'

'Just some light reading,' Harry said as Hermione did regularly, when reading foot wide texts that each weighed about a ton. 'So, we better get going then,' he said reaching behind his trunk and pulling up his Firebolt.

Dudley's eyes widened and he reached out a hand to touch the polished broom handle.

'No, no, we're not flying there Harry,' Tonks said snorting, 'In case you haven't noticed, Moody is not here this time.'

'Not by choice, I think I should mention,' Lupin added, staring pointedly at Tonks. 'Dumbledore felt that he should stay you know where, to ensure that it is safe for our arrival.'

'But if you're not flying, how are you getting there?' Dudley asked the grown Wizard and Witch, 'My dad's sealed off the fireplace with brick this time so that no one ever tries to use it for travel again.'

'No worries, we have permission to create a Portkey,' Tonks said, smiling at the much thinner Dudley, 'and it will whisk us right to number tw-'

'Tonks!' Lupin cried, 'Watch what you say!' he scolded her though thin lips, and turned to face Dudley. 'I'm sorry we can't tell you where we're going, but it would only place you in danger.'

Dudley shrugged his indifference

'Well have a good summer Dud,' Harry told his cousin, 'and make sure you keep running with Maria in the mornings alright? Just cause I'm not here doesn't mean you can stop working out, got it?'

'Got it. Have a good time, and Harry, be careful. I don't want to be stuck all alone with you know who next year,' Dudley complained.

Tonks and Lupin both stared wide-eyed at Dudley and had gasped when he mentioned you-know-who. Harry was confused for a moment, and then laughed, telling them he'd explain when they got there. Lupin visibly relaxed and picked up one of aunt Petunia's collectibles from the shelf next to him.

'Hope she doesn't mind,' he said smiling at the boys in front of him, before lifting his wand to the ceramic horse and crying 'PORTUS!'

Harry bent down and picked up the edge of his trunk, causing the stack of books teetering on it top to wobble unsteadily as he dragged it toward Lupin and Tonks.

'Now on three I want you to touch the horse,' Lupin instructed, holding it up so that Harry and Tonks could reach it. 'Have a good summer Dudley, and give your parents hell,' he added, winking at the grinning brown-haired boy. 'One, two...'

'Harry, don't forget your broomstick,' Dudley said holding it out for him to grab with his free hand.

'Three,' Lupin said loudly, as Harry grabbed the horse with one hand, and his broom with the other.

Harry felt the usual feeling of a hook behind his navel, pulling him up as everything around him began spinning and blurred. He felt someone knee him in the head and saw one of his books hit Lupin on the nose, before landing hard on his knees in the entrance hall of Grimmauld Place.

Lupin stood holding his nose from the impact of the book, and Tonks had toppled backwards over the entrance hall table, but next to him Dudley stood standing perfectly still, wide-eyed with his jaw hanging open.

'How in the blazes-', Lupin started to say when he saw Dudley standing there with them.

'That was bloody brilliant!' Dudley shouted, now helping Harry to his feet, 'Can we do it again?'

'NO!' Lupin, Tonks, and Harry all shouted together, making Dudley step back against the wall and into a long draping curtain.

'FILTHY MUGGLE CHILD! GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE! IF ONLY EVERYONE KNEW, I WOULD BE ASHAMED! GET OUT, GET OUT, DISGUSTING PUSTULE OF WORTHLESSNESS!'

The shrill screams of Mrs. Black filled the hallway, making Dudley almost jump out of his skin with fright, before covering his ears and turning to see from where the dreadful sound originated. Once again slack-jawed, Dudley watched in silence as Lupin and Tonks struggled with the curtain on the wall, to try and cover the wailing portrait of Sirius' mother.

'So you still haven't been able to get rid of her?' Harry said after the two had wrestled the hangings closed and silenced the wench.

'Nope. Whatever she used on it, it's not a sticking charm any of us have ever heard of, not even Dumbledore,' Lupin answered him, turning his attention back to Dudley. 'What are you doing following us?' he asked him angrily, shaking his wand in his face, causing the boy to whimper and draw back quickly.

'REMUS!' Harry yelled at the man and grabbed the wand out of his outstretched hand. 'It's not his fault! When he gave me my broom, he was still touching the handle when I grabbed the Portkey, something he knows nothing about!' Harry said stiffly, handing a guilty looking Lupin his wand back. 'We'll just have to send him back,' Harry said plainly, 'And in the mean time he can help me unpack, and meet Hermione and Ron.'

Harry beckoned to Dudley and started toward the staircase.

'First of all,' Lupin said, 'it'll take about a day and a half for me to register for another Portkey.' He sighed deeply thinking of the hours of paper work he would now have to redo to erect the mistake that had been made in seconds.

'And secondly,' Tonks said quietly, 'Hermione and Ron are not here. You won't see them until the night before Percy's wedding, remember?'

That was what Hermione had meant by 'we'll see you in mid-August'; she must have been helping the Weasleys plan and prepare for the wedding.

'Oh, right,' Harry said, trying to sound like he hadn't forgotten, and started up the stairs with his things. 'We'll be in my regular bedroom,' he called down.

'Supper's in an hour,' Lupin called up after the boys, 'And I guess you can share a room with Harry, Dudley, if that's alright.'

Harry lumbered up the creaking steps, looking over to see Dudley gazing at the walls covered in paintings, in which all of the occupants were moving around or calling out greeting s to them. Once they had reached the third floor landing, Harry pushed open the second door to the right, and pulled his trunk through the doorway, Dudley in tow.

The large room was equipped with two four-posters, and two bureaus. A Chudley Cannon's poster was still Spell'O'Taped to the low ceiling above the bed that was regularly Ron's, and Dudley had immediately spotted it.

'That'll be your bed,' Harry told him, pointing to the large bed under the moving orange poster, and placing his trunk at the foot of his own.

The floor and all of the furniture were covered in a thin layer of dust, collected there over the months of unuse, and the window was covered in dark smudges, filtering the light that came through it.

'So, what are we going to do?' Dudley asked excitedly, obviously thinking that he was on vacation in the wizarding world.

''Well, I was going to study for a while before supper, but I guess I should probably clean up a bit first,' Harry replied lamely, and watched as Dudley's face fell with disappointment.

'I thought we were going to go and see some magic shops and magicians and stuff like that,' he mumbled as he lay down on Ron's bed, giving Harry a thought.

'Maybe we could go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and I could show you around some of the shops while I buy some school supplies,' Harry said, furrowing his brow as he thought of how he could convince Lupin to let them go.

'That would be great!' Dudley said, sitting up and bouncing in excitement at the thought of exploring the one thing he was sure would make his parents upset.

That night, Harry lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. He had spent the evening cleaning Grimmauld Place, and convincing Lupin to let him show Dudley around Diagon Alley. At first Lupin had been completely against it, as Dudley was a Muggle and it would be against the law, but then Tonks reminded him that Dudley was already aware that such a place existed, as he was related to several witches and wizards, and that he would not in fact be breaking any rules. Lupin finally agreed, provided that Dudley wear wizarding robes and that they only be gone for an hour, while he and Tonks waited for them at the Leaky Cauldron. This was fine with Harry, and Dudley was just thrilled at the prospect of actually seeing a street filled with nothing but magical people. He couldn't wait to tell Maria all about it.

Harry rolled over onto his side and tried not to think about Percy's upcoming wedding. Hedwig had arrived earlier that evening, causing Lupin to almost blow steam out of his ears when he saw her fly in through the back window. Harry had to explain to him that he had told her to come find him, and to be discreet about the way she flew to find it.

She had brought him instructions from Penelope on what to do to prepare for the wedding. He would have to stop in at Madam Malkin's shop for custom tailored dress robes, as he had grown significantly since his fourth year, and his old robes now hung somewhere above his shins and below his knees.

Penelope had also sent the plan of which groomsmen would be walking down the aisle with which bridesmaids, and was glad to see that he was paired with Ginny. Lupin and Tonks were one of the other pairs, along with the twins and Ron paired with Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Katie Bell, respectively.

Harry was surprised to see that Hermione had been paired with Roger Davies, Ranvenclaw Prefect and the captain of their Quidditch team. Bill and Charlie had been paired with girls that Harry did not know, but that must have been either friends or family of Penelope's. Overall, the wedding really didn't seem like it would be that bad, and it might actually prove to be fun for a change.

Harry felt his eyelids drooping as the sandman pulled him into the land of dreams, and opened them to find that he was walking down the wedding aisle at Percy's wedding.

'Here we go', he thought to himself as he walked toward the couple standing at the alter, all eyes from the gathered company trained on him as he made his way down the narrow path. He saw a young Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, something he found strange, and then saw sixteen-year-old Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew standing next to Percy and Penelope.

Harry quickened his pace, only being distracted once momentarily by a five or six-year-old girl with bright pink hair being scolded by her mother, and assumed she must be a younger Tonks.

Arriving next to the group of men at the front, Harry looked around for Ron, but couldn't see him anywhere among the crowd. Glancing at the bridesmaids, Harry scanned for Hermione and couldn't find her either.

There were only four bridesmaids, and Ginny wasn't there either. There were three dark haired girls, then one on the end closest to Penelope that stood out, her blond hair pulled up into an elegant knot at the back of her head, and her icy blue eyes sparkled beautifully in sync with her shimmering silk dress as she smiled dazzlingly at the bride. She looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Harry shook his head and looked up as the minister began to speak, 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in holy matrimony, to link these...' he droned on as Harry tuned him out and continued to scan the crowd for the other Weasleys, whose fiery red hair should have given them up easily. He tuned back into the minister's words only when he heard the names of the couple called aloud.

'Do you James Hugrint Potter take Lily Marie Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife?'

Harry's jaw dropped as he watched and heard his sixteen-year-old father say 'I do'. He continued to watch speechlessly until his mother threw back her veil, exposing the tear stained and terrified face Harry had seen in his last nightmare.

'You have to help me, Harry. You're the only one who can!' she cried, reaching out a hand and trying to grasp him from where he stood next to the young Sirius Black.

He turned to the crowd for help and saw that every one of the white seats that had borne all of the wedding guests moments before, now sat empty and still. Turning back to his mother, he found that once again it was only her and himself left standing at the alter.

'Please Harry, don't let him get me,' her watering green eyes pleaded with him desperately, tugging at his heart as he tried to speak to her.

Just as he tried to form the question 'save you from who?', a clawed arm burst from the grassy ground at their feet, and wrapped itself around Lily's leg, pulling her into a now forming gap in the earth between the empty white chairs. Harry tried to hold on to his mothers hand as she was pulled under the earth but lost his grip and watched her terrified eyes as she disappeared screaming, and the earth resealed itself.

He dropped onto his knees and held his head as he screamed, his voice now booming as the words leapt from his mouth, 'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' The whole scene around him shook, causing a few owls to take off from their perches in nearby trees in fright.

Outside the grimy window of Grimmauld Place, a green-eyed Phoenix sat silently watching Harry as he writhed in his sleep, unable to help him in any way.

Harry was awakened once more by Dudley, who had been the first to wake, and felt his mouth and nose become covered by a large fluffy pillow. Rolling out from under Dudley's wake up call, Harry swung his legs out of bed, and ambled across the cold squeaking floor to where his trunk laid at the foot of the bed. He opened the latches and started to pull out a pair of joggers before realising that they would not do this particular morning.

'Dud, we can't go running today,' he called to his cousin, who had already dressed and was now waiting in the large hand carved archway above the open bedroom door. 'This place is protected by charms and stuff, so it doesn't have anywhere we can really run. Since this is sort of my secret hide-out I'm not supposed to go running down the street either, where any dark wizard could attack.'

Harry looked up at his cousin with a look of guilt written on his face, and shrugged his shoulders.

'We can do crunches and push-ups if you like?'

'No, that's alright, one day won't kill us,' Dudley said, sitting on the edge of his loaned four-poster, wringing his hands and shaking his leg repeatedly. 'Maybe we should just eat and go to your magic street then,' Dudley suggested, clearly not caring about the missed exercise and eager to see Diagon Alley.

'Sure Dud, let's go get started on breakfast,' Harry said as he threw on a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt.

Walking down the old staircase, Harry peered into every room as they passed them on their way down to the kitchen, and each one of them reminded him of Sirius in one way or another. As they passed the second floor drawing room, he spotted the large Black Tapestry, listing all of the Black's family tree, and remembered the tiny scorch mark where Sirius' name had been burned off.

Starting to stare only in front of him, Harry led the way to the large kitchen on the first floor as Dudley looked around at all of the old magical items adorning the walls, and every now and again saying hello to one of the paintings.

They found Lupin already awake and sitting at the table reading the Daily Prophet across from Tonks, who today had a thick curly head of black hair trimmed just above her shoulders, and was filling her plate with what looked like seconds from the assortment of breakfast foods splayed across the table.

Harry and Dudley both said good morning and delved into the delicious meal, shoving heaps of food into their mouths and barely pausing between mouthfuls to breathe. Lupin just shook his head and continued reading the Prophet.

'Now Dudley, I've sent an owl to your parents to let them know where you are,' Lupin told the boys when they had finished every last morsel of food on their plates, 'and I think it would be a great understatement to say that they were furious. I told them I couldn't have you home until half past three today, and that is exactly when you will arrive. Do you understand?'

Dudley nodded his agreement, and then the four of them stood and went off to get their cloaks.

'I uh, don't have any wizard clothes, Mr. Lupin,' Dudley said to the tired looking man as he walked toward the door.

'Ah that's right. Here I found you a pair of Siri-', he caught Harry's eye and looked away abruptly, '-of extra robes here. They should fit just fine.'

They all watched as Dudley Pulled the robes over his head and they fell neatly into place around his basically regular sized body.

'Right, shall we?' Harry asked as he walked past Lupin and headed for the front door.

'Certainly,' Tonks answered, 'but we're going by Floo.'

Harry groaned. He absolutely hated travelling by Floo powder. Although it was probably the fastest and easiest way to travel, next to a Portkey, he always ended up feeling nauseous on the other side upon arrival.

'Floo? Is that through the fireplace?' Dudley asked excitedly, remembering the time the Weasleys had gotten stuck in the grate at Privet Drive.

'Yeah,' said Harry in a low monotone voice. 'You take a pinch of the Floo powder and throw it on the flames. When they turn green, step in and shout 'The Leaky Cauldron' loud and clear, or you might end up somewhere else,' he said remembering his first time using Floo.

Tonks stepped up to the flames first and shouted the name of the London Pub frequented by Wizards and Witches before whirling away in a swirl of green and leaving the grate empty. Dudley went next, grabbing a handful of powder and throwing on the flames nervously. He placed one leg in the green flames as if testing it first, and then stepped into the fireplace fully and shouted the name of the pub. Once he had disappeared, Lupin grabbed Harry's shoulder and stopped him from leaving right away.

'Harry, I want you to be careful, and don't let that boy out of your sight for a second,' he said in a serious but worried tone.

Harry fully examined Lupin's features for the first time in months and saw that he looked more ragged than ever. New creases had formed under his eyes and on his forehead, and his eyes were dull and sunk in, reminding him of the way Sirius had looked when he got out of Azkaban.

Harry realised that Lupin must have taken Sirius' death just as hard, if not harder than he had. He was of after all the last of the living Marauders who remained friends, and losing another best friend could not have been easy.

'I will be extremely careful,' Harry said trying to put his old professor at ease by brandishing his wand for Lupin to see, 'And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on Dudley and I won't use magic unless it's an emergency.'

The last part of his reply seemed rehearsed and like it was meant for a parent. Lupin nodded and held out the sac containing Floo powder for Harry to use. Harry stepped into the flames and clearly said 'The Leaky Cauldron'. Moments later Harry emerged from a six-foot tall iron fireplace in the main seating area of the English pub.

He spotted Tonks and Dudley sitting at the bar talking animatedly to Tom, the owner. He walked over to them, saying hello to Tom, and told them Lupin would arrive momentarily. Once Lupin had arrived he told them to stick together before joining Tonks at the bar and waving the boys goodbye.

Harry brought Dudley to the back of the bar where he tapped on the brick wall with his wand in the pattern Hagrid had shown him five years before, causing them to shuffle aside and reveal the entrance to Diagon Alley. Dudley's jaw dropped and he grabbed Harry's robes, pulling him through the entrance the second it was large enough for them to fit through.

'This is bloody amazing!' Dudley said to him, a little too loudly for Harry's liking, as it made a group of witches turn and scowl at them as they passed.

'Dudley! Try and pretend like you've seen this stuff before,' Harry said to his cousin through clenched teeth, 'otherwise people will notice that you're not a wizard.'

Dudley nodded at him and continued to pull him along the street, stopping in front of all the windows to look inside as they passed them.

'There's that Madam Malkin's place you said you needed to stop at,' he told Harry, pointing as they passed the old robes shop.

'We have to stop at Gringott's first so I can grab a satchel of galleons,' Harry told his cousin , and quickened his pace as they passed a group of Hags, who had just emerged from the entrance of Knockturn Alley and were pointing oddly at Dudley.

'Where, to get a satchel of what?' Dudley asked furrowing his brow in confusion.

'Gringott's, the wizarding bank, for galleons, wizarding money,' Harry explained to his cousin, who listened keenly as he explained the difference in knuts, sickles and galleons.

The two walked quietly through the large white marble doors of the crooked three-story establishment. Harry had to tell Dudley not to stare, as he was gawking and pointing quite rudely at all of the Goblins.

Once Harry had given the Goblin the key to his vault, another little goblin appeared in a roller cart to bring then to collect his money.

Dudley held onto Harry's robes tightly as they whipped through the intricate tunnels of the bank, under Diagon Alley. Once they had arrived, Dudley seemed quite subdued and sort of green as he stepped onto the platform outside Harry's vault and watched as the Goblin opened the door. His disposition changed completely the instant he saw the gleaming pile of gold heaped inside Harry's vault.

'This is all yours?' he shouted, punching Harry in the shoulder and making him take a step to the side rubbing his arm. 'You've got to be the richest person I know,' he added, watching Harry grab several large handfuls of gold and silver to fill a purple sac he had attached to the inside of his robes.

Dudley once again gripped Harry's arm tightly on the ride back to the bank's Lobby, and slowed considerably on the way to the front doors.

'We can go to the Magical Menagerie and Quality Quidditch store after Madam Malkin's,' Harry suggested to his cousin, 'What do you think Dud? Dudley?'

Harry looked around him and saw that Dudley was no longer right beside him but up at the front counter, speaking to the goblin to whom Harry had given his vault key.

'Oh no,' Harry muttered as he made his way quickly through the crowd toward where Dudley was standing, probably bragging about how much money his famous cousin had.

'Thirteen galleons and five sickles is your exchange, Mr. Dursley. Have a nice day,' Harry heard the Goblin say to Dudley, as he approached the counter and saw the Goblin's long fingered hand pull two crisp twenty pound notes across the counter top. Harry was surprised. It had never occurred to him that Gringott's did exchanges on other currencies, but it did make perfect sense as much of the supplies used in the Wizarding world came from Muggles who surely would not accept Galleons as payment.

'Well where to Harry?' Dudley asked, swinging a small purple sac identical to Harry's in his hand and smiling broadly as he threw an arm over his cousin's shoulder and walked out of the bank.

center

After getting fitted for his new dress robes, Harry led Dudley over to the Magical Menagerie so that he could buy some more owl treats for Hedwig. Immediately upon opening the door, a strong scent of animals wafted into his nose telling him exactly where he was.

He walked up to the cashier and asked for a package of Hooting Humdingers, while keeping an eye on Dudley who had made a straight line toward the reptiles. Harry paid for the treats and thanked the shopkeeper before walking over to his cousin and seeing that he was in fact holding a two-foot red and orange striped snake.

'Look at this Harry. Isn't he beautiful,' Dudley asked him, holding the snake up to Harry's face and wagging it back and forth.

'Pleasssss sssstop ssshaking me back and forth,' Harry heard a hissing voice in front of him, as the snake complained about Dudley's handling.

Not wanting to explain to Dudley how he could speak Parseltongue, Harry told his cousin that the snake looked like it was going to bite him, causing Dudley to drop it back into its pen.

'Liar,' he heard the snake hiss as they walked toward the exit of the shop.

Harry stopped for a moment when he saw a creature that caught his attention. A brilliantly blue winged salamander was climbing up the side of its aquarium, cocking its head toward Harry and blinking several times. Harry walked over to its glass home and peered in for a closer look noticing a tag labelled Winged Skewt.

The Skewt's electric blue skin looked smooth and was interrupted by various sized rings of lime green and orange, making it the most poisonous looking creature Harry had ever seen. The Skewt turned its head toward Harry and blinked its vibrant purple eyes at him again.

'Look, it thinks you're its mum,' Dudley teased him, noticing the odd-looking creature he was examining.

Harry pushed him aside and walked to the front door, again thanking the shopkeeper as they walked out into the crowded street. Witches and wizards were bustling up and down the street today, but there were no signs of any other Hogwarts students, as they had all just received their letters and would probably not buy their supplies for another two weeks yet.

Dudley and Harry made their way through the noon crowd and stopped in front of the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop to look in the window.

'That's your broom isn't it?' Dudley asked, pointing to the Firebolt that was still on display in the front window as it was still the latest broom to come off the production line.

'Yeah, it's the fastest broom in the world,' Harry bragged to his cousin, ' Most of the Professional Quidditch players use them, but not many others can because they're so expensive.'

'Where'd you say you got yours again?' Dudley asked.

'Well, its clear Weasley didn't buy it for him. He'd have to put his parent's house up for sale,' a cold and familiar face drawled from behind the two of them. 'Not that it would come even close to enough,' Draco Malfoy's voice finished, laughing loudly with two other voices, these ones low as they guffawed stupidly.

'What do you want Malfoy?' Harry said through gritted teeth as he turned to see the blond-haired boy standing between his cronies Crabbe and Goyle.

'Oh, just thought I'd check up on the biggest celebrity I know. Actually could I get your autograph Potter?' he said as he started to laugh again with Crabbe and Goyle.

'Sod off!' Harry said, turning red and staring hard into Malfoy's cold grey eyes as he slipped his hand into his robes and gripped his wand tightly.

'No really Potter, I'm DEAD SIRIUS!' he said loudly, smirking at Harry as he crossed his arms and watched to see how the dark-haired wizard would react.

In the blink of an eye Harry had pulled his wand out of his robes and had it pointed in Malfoy's face. WHACK! Before Harry could even mouth the words to a curse, Dudley's fist had connected hard with the side of Malfoy's jaw, making him sail backward into a pile of trash outside of Ollivander's wand shop.

Crabbe and Goyle stepped forward clenching their fists, but both backed down and helped Malfoy to his feet when they saw the look in Dudley's eyes. Dudley had lost weight, but had gained a lot of muscle over the summer and was still about two inches taller than both the boys were. His size combined with his boxing talent made him quite an intimidating person when he was angry.

'Don't you ever speak about that again!' he shouted as he walked up to Malfoy and grabbed the front of his robes. 'If Harry tells me that you even tried to come near him this year at school, you'll have me to deal with,' he said in a menacing growl, before throwing him back into Crabbe and Goyle, who stumbled backward before grabbing Malfoy's robes and dragging him away.

'Thanks Dud. That was an amazing punch,' Harry told his cousin when Malfoy had turned the corner, 'but I could have handled it,' he said, waving his wand in front of Dudley's face.

'Yeah, and got yourself expelled, or worse,' he answered, lifting a hand to lower Harry's wand. 'Don't worry about it. I don't think those three will bother you for a while.'

'I wouldn't count on it,' Harry said as they continued through the throng of people gathered in the street.

The boys walked back down the street slowly, occasionally stopping in a shop to browse and sometimes buy a supply or two. When Harry had bought his cauldrons and a supply of ink and parchment from Flourish and Blotts, they started to make their way back to the Leaky Cauldron.

It was half past two when all four of them had safely returned to Grimmauld Place, and Harry and Dudley sat down at the kitchen table to show Tonks and Lupin what they each had bought. Harry showed them the automatic quill he had purchased, that functioned much like Rita Skeeter's, except that his did not make up false and hurtful statements and was bright crimson in lieu of acid green. Dudley had purchased many different knickknacks, among which was a handheld mirror that had Dudley's reflection answer him whenever questioned. He had also purchased Hogwarts: A History, saying that he wanted to learn more about Harry's school, and ignoring Harry's suggestion of simply writing to Hermione, who had memorised the entire volume. When Harry suggested entering the sweet shop, Dudley had firmly said no and refused to enter looking more than a little affronted. He said he had had enough experience with candies that did more than taste delicious, and no longer fancied sweets, making Harry laugh as he recalled the Ton-Tongue-Toffee once more.

After eating a brief lunch of Shepard's pie and pumpkin juice, it was twenty five past three and time for Dudley to go. Tonks summoned an empty juice container and handed it to Lupin who lifted his wand as he had the previous day and said "PORTUS".

'Now it's only going to be you this time Dudley,' he said smiling and placing the container on the table.

'Well, have a good summer Dud, and I guess I'll see you next summer,' Harry said reaching out to shake his cousins hand.

'It's been a blast Harry, and why don't you write me at school when you get the chance. I'm sure Hedwig could find me,' Dudley said turning to wink at the snowy white owl, who lifted her head from where she was perched on the window sill and hooted loudly in agreement.

'Sounds good Dud,' Harry said as he watched his cousin walk over to the empty juice tin.

'Whenever you're ready,' Lupin said, checking his watch.

'And don't bother saying hi to your parents for me,' Tonks said waving goodbye to him and smiling brightly from under spiked green hair.

'No problem, I try not to. And don't worry Mr. Lupin, your secrets are safe with me.'

With that last sentence he waved goodbye to them all and grabbed hold of the juice can, disappearing instantly and leaving the three of them standing alone in the quiet kitchen of Grimmauld Place.


	5. Church Bells at Hog's Nest

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A/N: Thanks so much to all those of you who have left me reviews. I absolutely love reading them and I love to see what you tjink of the developments thus far. Some of you are dead on and others not so much. Well, I hope you enjoy this one and I promise the action starts very soon. Please review when you're done and tell me what you think. Kyle : D

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**Chapter 5: Church Bells at Hogs Nest**

The next two days were much like the past month at the Dursley's, provided you removed the morning runs, the laughing and fun with Dudley, and the constant rudeness from his aunt and uncle. Harry basically sat in his bedroom all day and read as much of his Potions textbook as humanly possible, stopping only to eat and go to the bathroom. At this rate he would be done in two days time, leaving him plenty of time to finish his Transfiguration text and most of his Charms.

On the third day, just after lunch, Harry's new daily routine was interrupted by a knock on the door.

'Come in,' he said, not looking up from Potions text.

The door opened up to reveal a smiling Lupin, a textbook in one hand and his wand in the other.

'You busy Harry? I thought we might have a chat,' he said, closing the gap between his and Harry's spot on the bed.

Harry looked up and saw him wave to the portrait of Phineus Nigellus across the room.

'Sure. What is it?' Harry asked, setting the book aside and sitting up so that he could look his old Defense professor in the face.

'I spoke with Dumbledore a few days ago and we both thought that it might be prudent for me to resume Defense lessons with you. If you're interested, that is.'

Harry's eyes widened and a huge grin spread across his face. 'Of course I'm interested. When do we start?'

'Right now if you like,' Lupin said to him, handing the large volume he was carrying over to Harry, 'I noticed that you've been reading a lot lately, so I thought you might like this. It's a book on practical defenses against curses and most hexes. You won't even see much of them on your N.E.W.T's though,' he added, tapping a finger on the cover of the book.

'Wow! Hermione will have a fit when she sees this,' Harry said lifting the heavy text and flipping quickly through its old yellowing pages.

'I should think so! It's one a kind, the only copy,' Lupin said, winking at Harry, 'I found it while I was cleaning Mrs. Black's old bedroom.'

'So it must be full of all kinds of Dark Arts then,' Harry continued, pausing on a page that showed a coloured sketch of a human heart, squirting blood every time the thing beat, 'Ughhh!'

'I noticed that you've read most of your Transfiguration text, is that right?' Lupin asked.

'Yeah, I think I'll be way ahead of the other students first term,' Harry said proudly, looking into Lupin's friendly grey eyes.

'Yes, well, Dumbledore has also told me that you will be learning Introductory Metamorphmagi, and that perhaps we could get started on that as well.'

'That'd be great! I've already read the entire section on it, and I know all of the basics, I just need to practice them,' Harry told his newly reinstated DADA professor, but then gave him a thoughtful look. 'I never knew you were a Metamorphmagi.'

'I'm not, but in case you've forgotten, you have a young Auror friend downstairs with a rainbow hidden in her hair.'

'Tonks! That's right, I'd gotten so used to her changes, that I'd forgotten,' Harry said, clapping a hand to his forehead stupidly. 'She doesn't mind teaching me?'

'Of course not. All of the members of the Order are here to help you Harry. Now, follow me,' Lupin said to Harry, and led the way out of the room and up the stairs to a doorway off the fifth floor landing. 'This is where we will be practicing,' Lupin went on, before opening the door and walking in to the room with Harry following closely behind.

'How am I to practice outside of school?' Harry asked suddenly, remembering the decree for underage wizards.

'Not to worry,' Lupin told him, 'There are so many protective spells on this house you could cast spells until you were blue in the face, and the Ministry would never know.'

Harry smiled as he entered the room, relieved that he could finally use magic again without fear of being thrown into Azkaban. Meaning that he could also practice his new Charms and Transfiguration spells, definitely putting him ahead of the rest of his class.

The room was large and dark, with very little furniture in the way to cause problems with their work. The floors looked as though they had just been cleaned, and the windows all had shades drawn over them, blocking any light that might have ventured into the shady space. A single chandelier hung from a gold chain in the center of the room, black candles floating in the place of where the bulbs should lie. Harry saw that the shelves lining the far wall were stocked with Defense texts and useful items that they would surely use in his studies. The room actually reminded him of the Room of Requirement in which he had taught his fellow classmates DADA techniques illegally the year before.

'Today we're going to practice blocking spells,' Lupin said coolly, standing across from Harry underneath the swaying chandelier, and lifting his wand so that Harry would do the same. 'Now, I'm going to throw some basic curses at you and I want you to try and ward them off best you can, alright,' he asked, waiting for Harry's nod of agreement.

'Tarantallegra' Lupin shouted, thrusting his wand toward Harry, and forcing a jet of blue light to at him.

'Impedimenta!' Harry shouted quickly, watching as his red curse shot out and deflected Lupin's in mid-air.

'Good job,' Lupin said, not lowering his wand, and suddenly throwing the jelly-legs curse at him.

Harry dodged it and shouted 'Expelliarmus', watching Lupin's wand fly neatly through the air and land in his outstretched hand. He handed it back to him quickly and resumed his dueling stance.

They continued to shoot curses and counter-curses at one another for another hour, both besting each other several times. Lupin caught Harry off guard with 'Petrificus Totalus', causing him to become rigid and fall to the floor. Harry had ended the duel by using the 'Impedimenta' curse on Lupin, slowing him down to less then a crawl while he simply plucked the wand out of his hand before returning him to normal speed.

'Very good!' Lupin said, wiping his brow and reclaiming his wand from Harry, 'Tomorrow we can practice some new counter-curses, and I'll show you a few jinx's to watch out for.'

They both walked out of the room laughing and talking animatedly, tired from the difficult work out they had undergone in the duel. Halfway down the staircase on the third floor they ran into Tonks on her way up the winding stairs.

'Where do you think you're going, Harry?' she said, looking at him through vibrant lime green eyes, 'We've got some training to do.'

Harry told Lupin he'd see him at dinner, and followed Tonks back up to the fifth floor practice room.

'You say you've read my grandmother's book then, right?' Tonks asked him, once they were seated in the middle of the room once more.

'Aphrodite Tonks was your grandmother?' Harry asked widening his eyes in surprise.

He had read several Transfiguration book by that author, not knowing he was friends with her granddaughter.

'Not was. Is my grandmother. She's very much alive, and actually looks younger than I do. Metamorphmagi remember,' she said smiling at him. 'Now, first thing you have to do is clear your mind,' she told him, closing her eyes and crossing her legs as to meditate.

Harry did the same thing and cleared his mind easily, having practiced this before for his Occlumency lessons with Snape.

'Now imagine a feature on your face, like your eyes or your nose,' she told him, 'and think about what it looks like very hard. Picture every little detail.'

Harry chose his eyes, the vibrant emerald green being something he could easily picture with great detail.

'Now imagine it differently. Pick one thing to change about that feature and concentrate very hard on what you would like it to look like.'

Harry thought very hard about what his eyes would look like, had they been brown. He furrowed his brow in concentration as he pictured first his green eyes and then overset the brown colour, imagining a deep chocolate like Hermione's. He opened his eyes to look at Tonks and stared at his own reflection in a mirror she was holding up for him. His eyes were still green. His face fell, but as he looked in the reflection he noticed three or four tiny flecks of brown set in the emerald of his eyes.

'Tonks look!' he said excitedly, 'they've changed a little bit.'

'Excellent!' she said, 'I knew if anyone could do it from your year, it would be either you or Hermione.'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked his substitute Metamorphmagi teacher.

'Remember last year when I came to get you with the other Aurors and Lupin? I told you that it was a very difficult skill to manage, and that very few are able to transform at will. I have it in my blood, but you Harry, do not. I very much doubt that more than a handful of sixth years will be able to change the colour of their eyes even as much as you have. Now close your eyes and try again.'

Harry spent the next forty minutes concentrating again and again on changing his eyes, finally stopping when he saw the last fleck of the green he had inherited from his mother, disappear, and be replaced by deep chocolate brown.

He and Tonks walked down the five flights of stairs to meet Lupin for dinner, talking about all of the different steps that would be involved in his training. They stepped into the kitchen and saw Lupin, once again seated at the table reading the Daily Prophet. Harry and Tonks seated themselves, started to heap food from the table in front of them onto large brass plates, and filled their goblets with cranberry juice.

'Harry did magnificently for his first attempt, wouldn't you say?' Tonks asked Lupin, who put the Prophet down smiling and stared at Harry for a moment, searching for a visible change.

The smile faded quickly and the colour in Lupin's face drained away as he looked at Harry's eyes.

'What is it?' Harry asked, not understanding the light-haired professor's reaction, 'I thought this was good.'

'Yes, yes that's wonderful,' Lupin said looking away from Harry. 'Nothing's the matter, you just surprised me is all. You look just like James with those eyes,' he added quietly. 'Well, I think I'll go up for a lie down, I'm not very hungry. See you both in the morning,' Lupin said to them.

Harry and Tonks watched as he stood up and headed to the door, collecting his paper as he went.

Harry hadn't thought about what he might look like to others without his green eyes, and he had not realised that he would look like his father. He made a mental note to choose blue the next time he changed his eye colour, and then proceeded to eat his dinner.

The next few days were the most tiresome days Harry had ever lived through. He had a new routine that involved waking up at six in the morning and practicing his dueling for an hour with Lupin, followed by an hour and a half of Metamorphmagi with Tonks. Then he would eat lunch and read some of his Potions and Transfiguration texts, before resuming his new blocking techniques and Charms with Lupin, and his new Transfiguration spells with Tonks.

Every now and again he would run into a member of the Order who had stopped in for an update, as he rushed through the halls of the large house. Kingsley Shacklebolt had also been joining them every night for dinner, and Mrs. Weasley had sent them warm meals three times that week. Clearly she thought Lupin and Tonks incapable of cooking, and feared for Harry's health.

After dinner on his seventh day at Grimmauld Place, he had finished his entire Potions text and would be finished his other two by bedtime. He also received a surprised at eight o'clock by a visit from Dumbledore, who had stopped in for an Official Order of the Phoenix meeting, that Harry did not even know was taking place, and decided he should get an early start on Occlumency with the already overworked teenager.

Harry had not fared well in this lesson though, frustrating him, and making him feel ashamed for not having practiced more during the holidays. The headmaster told him that he would be taking over Occlumency lessons with him every Tuesday night, and that he best practice clearing his mind every night before going to sleep.

Harry told Dumbledore about his dream involving Peter Pettigrew and Voldemort, and watched as the old Headmaster's eyes twinkled while he took in this new information and thought about it, a finger twisting in his long silvery beard. He decided not to tell the Headmaster about his nightmares involving his mother just yet, as he did not think they were related to Voldemort and did not want to bother him with such childish fears.

All in all, Harry thought that he had greatly improved his magical knowledge and skills, more in the last two weeks than in his last five years at Hogwarts. As his two-week stay was marked, Harry woke up to the same drill of the last fourteen days. He dueled with Lupin, being able to disarm him within minutes, and transformed his features with Tonks, now having progressed to being able to change the length and colour of his messy black hair at will. He thought this to be quite an accomplishment, bearing in mind the track record of his unruly and stubborn hair.

Tonight would be the night he left Grimmauld Place and went to this place called The Hogs Nest in Hogsmeade village. He was disappointed to be leaving Lupin and Tonks and to be stopping his training when it had been going so well, but he had been told that after the wedding he would be staying with the Weasley's until it was time for the start of term, a prospect that easily made up for his loss.

Harry packed up his trunk, searching his room for anything he might have forgotten, and summoned the Defense text Lupin had given to him, through the air and into his trunk neatly. He was excited to see both Ron and Hermione, understanding now why they could not be at Headquarters this summer.

He grabbed the edge of trunk and gave it a tug but stopped abruptly when he saw a corner of parchment sticking out from under his bed. He bent down and pulled it out, seeing his name scribbled across the front in Hagrid's messy writing, and realised that it must have dropped out of his pocket his first night there. He sat down and tore the envelope open, letting Hagrid's letter fall out into his hands.

He had never once, as hard as he tried to remember, had a fight with Hagrid, and was thankful that the half-giant was his friend. This was the first time Harry had gone this long without corresponding with him, and he hoped everything was alright, suddenly wishing he had read the letter when he had first received it.

_Harry,_

_How are ya? I hope everythin's goin' all righ'. Just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday and let you know that I migh' not be at Hogwar's on the firs' day back. I'm visiting Impe at Beaxbatons, you'll rememer her, the Headmistress? It's quite a differen' castle than Hogwar's and I can't wai' to see you and Ron and He'mione. Take care and good luck with the upcomin' trainin',_

_Hagrid_

Harry tucked the letter into one of his textbooks and closed the lid to the trunk, laughing to himself as he pictured the two half-giants strolling around the grounds at Beauxbatons.

He pointed his wand at his trunk and said 'Locomotor trunk,' and watched as it lifted itself two inches off the floor and hovered there waiting for him to pull it away. When he reached the first floor landing he saw Tonks and Lupin waiting for him in the entrance hall, Lupin in a shabby brown sports coat and Tonks in a frilly blue summer dress.

'Ready to go?' she asked him, pulling his trunk down the rest of the way and pointing her wand at it.

'Reducio,' she said, and Harry watched in amazement as his trunk and all of its contents were shrunk to the size of a galleon. 'There, now just make sure you don't forget it in your pocket!' she laughed, grinning wildly.

Lupin opened the front door and peered outside before stepping into the afternoon sunlight. The sun seemed to be unable to make up its mind on whether to shine brightly or hide itself behind clouds, resulting in a street bathed in warm sunshine one moment and cast in shadows the next. Harry stepped out behind Lupin, and walked down the front walkway quickly, watching as Tonks closed the old brown door behind her, as brought up the rear.

Grimmauld Place was a nearly deserted street, perhaps as it was nearly dinnertime, Harry thought as he looked over his shoulder and watched number Twelve get squeezed away between numbers Eleven and Thirteen. The three of them made their way down the street, avoiding piles of rubbish and talking casually amongst themselves.

Little had changed on Grimmauld Place. The houses were still old and cracking, paint peeling off of the doors, and every other house seemed to have at least one broken window. In comparison, it made Privet Drive look like a street for the famous and wealthy. Harry figured aunt Petunia would rather die than be associated with a place such as Grimmauld Place, and could not even imagine the look of disgust that would be on her face if she found out that that was where Dudley had spent the night.

'We'll be taking the Hogwarts Express then,' Lupin told Harry, who as of yet had not inquired of their mode of transportation.

'But I thought it only ran on the first of September and the twenty third of June,' Harry responded, as he kicked a stone along the street to amuse himself.

'For students yes, but there is an entire village of people who need transporting as well,' Lupin said smiling at him.

Harry had not thought of that before. He had simply assumed that Hogsmeade Village was shipped their supplies and never once thought that shop owners would have to enter Muggle London.

They arrived at King's Cross Station three quarter's of an hour later, and weaved slowly between the crowds of travelling Muggles, leaving and arriving from work. One by one they casually leaned on the barrier between platforms nine and ten and found themselves standing in front of the magnificently red Hogwarts Express. The whistle blew and steam poured out of the engine, signalling to the few passengers still on platform nine and three quarters that it would be leaving momentarily.

Harry climbed onto the train and walked past several empty compartments before selecting one in the middle and sitting down. Lupin and Tonks sat across from him, and the train started to pull out of the station as they did so. Harry sat silently watching the scenery outside his window whirl by and stared up at the sky that had still not decided whether to shine or rain, wispy grey clouds floating overhead.

The trip to Hogsmeade was rather uneventful and not even half as much fun as when he was with Ron and Hermione. Harry would have paid a galleon for a confrontation with Malfoy, just so that he could say that something happened on his train ride. The snack cart stopped outside their compartment halfway through the travel, just as the sun was setting, and Harry and Tonks both bought chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's every flavour beans. Harry laughed when professor Lupin who at first declined Tonks offer of an every flavour bean, finally conceded to trying one and was unfortunate enough to get a bogey-flavoured one.

The sun had sunk low behind the mountains when Harry saw his first glimpse of Hogwarts castle. Its many turrets standing tall and proud in the darkening sky. They pulled into the Hogsmeade station minutes later, and Harry felt a tingling sensation in his pocket, making him stand up quickly. He looked down and saw what looked like a square bubble gum start to expand in his pocket.

'Quick pull it out of your pocket Harry!' Tonks shouted, and Harry reached in and pulled out his trunk which seconds later was full sized and sitting on the floor in front of him.

'Told you not to forget about it,' Tonks said grinning. 'That could have been embarrassing!'

Tonks once again charmed Harry's trunk to hover inches off the ground and it followed him as he and the two adults stepped off the train and onto the platform into a crowd of waiting people.

'Harry!' came Hermione's shrill scream and then a second later she was hanging around his neck in a hug.

'I'm so sorry Harry,' she started to speak quickly before he could even say hello, 'I didn't mean to offend you in my letter -'

She was cut off by Ron who had stepped up behind her, towering several inches above her, and was now giving Harry a big hug.

'Good to see ya mate,' Ron said to him, his voice significantly lower than the last time he and Harry had spoken. 'She's been on about how upset you were with her all week. I keep telling her that you just misunderstood and that you would be over it by now, right?'

Ron gave Harry a half pleading and half threatening look that said just tell her your not mad or I'll go mad and take you with me.

'Good to see you again professor,' Ron turned his attention to Lupin and held out his hand to shake his old professor's. 'You too of course, Tonks.'

'It's fine Hermione, let's just go get settled in. I'm wiped,' Harry said, staring into Hermione's eyes and seeing her relax visibly, a large smile across her face now.

'Great, we have so much to tell you!' she said, having returned to her normal quick-paced self, as the three best friends set off toward the village, the two adults in tow.

'We'll catch you three up later,' Lupin called, 'after we've spoken with Dumbledore.' Lupin and Tonks walked off the platform and turned left toward the path leading up to Hogwarts, while Harry, Hermione and Ron went right, toward the village.

'Where exactly is this Hogs Nest?' Harry asked, looking up the road ahead of them and spotting the Hog's Head pub, where they had met secretly for a D.A. meeting the year before.

'You know that old place up at the end of the road,' Ron asked him, nodding his head as though Harry knew.

'You mean the giant house across from the Shrieking Shack?' Harry asked, picturing the enormous home as they passed the Three Broomsticks and waved hello to Madam Rosmerta. Hermione completely ignored her.

'Yeah, that's the place.'

'Why's the wedding going to be there?'

'Because Fred and George bought it!'

Harry stopped in his tracks and stared at Ron, 'They did what?' he asked incredulously.

'I know! They bought it outright, and mum was furious. She thought they'd stolen the money for it, or something like that.'

'We're still not sure how they paid for it,' Hermione added suspiciously, her eyebrows arched as she thought.

'So they've moved out of the Burrow with the whole family then?' Harry asked, looking back and forth between his best friends expectantly, waiting for their reply. Hermione looked away and waited for Ron to answer.

'Not exactly,' Ron said slowly, 'they've moved into the nest with Angelina, Alicia, and Lee. They've all gone in together on Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and decided to open the shop in Hogsmeade out of their home.

'Your mum must have had a fit!' Harry said, picturing the look on Mrs. Weasley's face when she was told that her son's had moved in to a house with two teenage girls. He smiled again as he thought of the way she had reacted in their fourth year after having read Rita Skeeter's article and thinking that Hermione was a scarlet woman.

'She wouldn't speak to them for a week, until Percy apologised and they offered their home for the wedding,' Ron said, bringing Harry back to the real world, and shook his head in disgust.

'Now she thinks it's the best idea in the world,' Hermione said, shaking her head, her wavy brown locks falling all over her shoulders.

'Can you believe Percy's getting married?' Ron asked Harry incredulous. 'The git ignores the whole family for a year, and then writes them to ask if mum will plan his wedding! Of course he knew what she'd say, I mean he is the first one of us to get married.' Ron sighed deeply, having obviously lost another way to stand out from his seven brothers and sisters.

'Did you both get your dress robes?' Harry asked Ron and Hermione, rolling his eyes as he thought of the pain that it was to be fit for the darned things.

'I went with Ron yesterday to Diagon Alley,' Hermione said, a frustrated look dominating her features, 'but I have to wait for my Muggle style bridesmaid gown to be delivered.' She twisted her face in distaste, clearly unimpressed with Penelope's choice of outfit for her wedding party.

'At least we get to spend the rest of the holidays with all of our friends,' Harry reminded her, and she smiled up at him as they walked up to the enormous brown manor at the end of the road.

The house was five stories tall, and just as all of the well-structured manors in the wizarding world, slanted slightly to the right. There was a newly built and painted yellow picket fence surrounding the large building and letterbox sitting on the side of the road, bearing the words The Nest, followed by the occupants' names.

Walking up the stone path to the house, Harry saw a particularly dumpy lawn gnome dart in behind a large rosebush. He was reminded of aunt Petunia's gardens as he walked up the large front steps of the house and waited for Ron to open the door.

'Go on, press the doorbell,' Ron said to him pointing to a bronze fixture next to the door, shaped like a house elf's head. Hermione huffed in indignation and looked away as Harry pressed the elf's tomato-shaped nose. A high, taunting voice rang through the air, insulting the three of them and making Harry think that the twins had invited Peeves the Poltergeist to stay.

'Masters, a bumbling idiot of a redhead, bushy-haired know-it-all, and disfigured scar-head are at the door.'

Harry and Ron doubled over in laughter, as Hermione pushed the door open and walked in, leaving Ron to tell Harry about the twins' newest joke item: The Know-It-All Knocker. Harry walked through the large doorway behind Ron a moment later, and was delighted to see Mrs. Weasley bustling toward him.

'Harry dear! How are you?' She wrapped him in a tight motherly hug, and looked him up and down, 'You've grown. Looks like those terrible Muggles finally started feeding you properly.'

Harry blushed and nodded as he noticed Ginny walk up behind her mother.

'Harry! I've been so excited; I can't wait for the wedding. We're to be partners,' she said smiling up at him.

'Yeah, I know,' he answered her, trying to look at least half as excited as she did, but failing dismally.

'Come now,' Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Harry into the large entrance hall and pushing toward a large railed staircase, 'Ron and Hermione can show you your room. You'll be sharing with Ron on the third floor. You must be tired from the trip, so you can unpack in the morning. Everyone up to bed now, we have an early morning,' she said as she pushed all four of them toward the stairs.

'Goodnight. Oh, Mrs. Weasley,' Harry called and pointed at his trunk, 'would you mind?'

'Not at all. Locomotor Trunk!' she called, flicking her wand behind her back as she bustled out of the room and around the corner.

Harry followed Ron, Hermione and Ginny up the winding staircase, looking around at all of the new paintings and portraits lining the walls, each of them containing a comical scene. They stopped briefly to say goodnight to Ginny on the second floor landing, where her and Hermione's room was located, right next to Angelina and Alicia's, before continuing up to their room on the third floor.

Upon entering the room, Harry was not surprised to see that the walls had been plastered with Quidditch posters, all displaying bright orange banners bearing the Chudley Cannons logo on it. Harry set his trunk at the foot of what would be his bed for the next two weeks, and sat down with a sigh.

'What a month!' he said exasperatedly, and flopped onto his back.

Ron and Hermione sat next to him on his bed, and stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to tell them all about his summer. Harry started at the beginning telling them all about Dudley's change in behaviour and about how he'd lost control of his magic again.

'You're very lucky the Ministry didn't catch you, Harry. You have to be more careful!' Hermione warned him unnecessarily before he went on.

Ron made a gagging noise when Harry told them that aunt Petunia was pregnant, and even Hermione had nothing nice to say in her defense. This was not the case when she heard about Dudley being at Grimmauld Place, and Harry bringing him to Diagon Alley.

'That was very foolish Harry!' she said, mumbling on about Lupin's irresponsible decision. Her tune changed considerably when Harry told them about his encounter with Malfoy.

'Go Dudley!' Ron shouted, throwing a fist in the air and whooping. 'I really wish I could have seen that!'

'I would have paid to see that!' Hermione added, smiling and laughing along with the boys.

'Now Harry,' Hermione said quietly, a smile creeping across her face, 'Go look in the wardrobe.'

Confused, Harry looked over at Ron, hoping that he would be just as baffled, but saw that he too bore an unmistakable grin that told him they were up to something,

'What is there a Boggart waiting in there for me or something?' he asked as he slowly stood and cautiously crept toward the large oak door.

'Just open it. We're not trying to scare the pants off of you,' Ron said eagerly, 'We've got the twins for that.'

'Oh come on Harry!' Hermione whined, making him reach out his hand and slowly turn the squeaky doorknob.

Harry opened the door and ducked quickly as a bright red curse went sizzling past his left ear. Laying on the ground he reached for his wand and was about to shout a counter curse when he heard the chorus of 'Happy Birthday To You', being sung loudly from inside the wardrobe and now from a laughing Ron and Hermione. Harry looked inside the closet and saw the remnants of a Filibuster Firework and to his surprise, the largest heap of birthday gifts he had ever seen.

'Happy Birthday Harry!' Ron and Hermione said together, Hermione running over to him to give him a hug.

'You didn't think we forgot did you?' Ron asked, making Harry look down and feel guilty.

'Of course he did. That's what makes this such a great surprise,' Hermione added, smiling ruefully at him. 'It would not have been as good if we had simply sent you your gifts,' she added, 'but then I wasn't so sure about the plan when I got your owl, and heard how upset you were.'

'Sorry about that, but I thought you'd forgotten, and Dudley was the only person to give me a present. He even threw me a birthday party where he forced aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon to sing to me. It was the worst party of my life. Oh wait!' Harry suddenly remembered that his aunt had given him a gift as well, but he had tucked it into his pocket to be opened later.

He stood up and walked over to his trunk and rummaged until he found the jeans he had been wearing that night, and pulled out the small wrapped package.

'Is that the gift Dudley gave you?' Hermione asked him curiously, now also coming to sit cross-legged on the floor with Harry.

'No, I just remembered my aunt gave me this too,' he said, shaking the box next to his ear and listening for any strange sounds that might give him a hint as to what was inside.

Slowly tearing the package open, Harry found another small and ragged velvet box, blue like the one his pendant had come in. Opening it, he found another pendant bearing the roaring lion on it, and was confused. How many of these were there. Lying in the top of the case was a short note scribbled in aunt Petunia's writing.

_Harry,_

_Dudley told me that he has given you your pendant bearing the family crest from your mother. I suppose that you might as well have you mother's now too. I have no need for it as I have my own. The backs clip together._

_Aunt Petunia_

Harry placed the note back in the case and removed the new pendant. This one was visibly older; several shallow scratches marred its surface giving away its age. The very edges were starting to blacken slightly, and when Harry turned it over his heart jumped as he read Lily Marie Evans.

'It's gorgeous!' Hermione cooed from beside him looking at his newly found family crest.

'It was my mum's,' Harry told her and Ron, before pulling his pendant out of his shirt for them to see.

'Dudley said that Dumbledore left this with me when he left me on their doorstep. It was from my mum.'

Ron had come down onto the floor as well and was now inspecting Harry's pendant.

'Is it your family crest?' he asked him knowingly.

'Yeah, how'd you know?'

'All of us have a baby ring from when we were born with our family crest. It's got a Griffin on it'

'My mum and I have matching bracelets at home too,' Hermione added cheerfully.

Ron and Hermione watched as Harry clipped his mother's pendant snugly to the back of his own and lowered it back down into his shirt, depositing the blue velvet case next to one just like it in his trunk, before standing and walking over to the wardrobe once more.

'Where to begin,' Harry thought aloud, eyeing all of the various shaped packages awaiting him.

'Here, open this one,' Ron said, rushing past him and pulling out a lumpy, poorly wrapped parcel about the size of a small dog. 'It's from me.'

Harry said thanks as he grabbed the gift and started to tear it open, letting the gift paper fall on the floor where it would stay until morning. Harry ripped off the last piece of paper and found a two-foot wide platform bearing several smaller gifts. First he saw a large box of Every Flavoured Beans, next to it lay several chocolate frogs and a rolled up Quidditch Weekly magazine.

After removing these items he flipped the flat wooden slab that acted as a stage, and almost died of shock when he saw what it was. In his hands he held a large photograph of all sixteen World Cup Seekers bearing each of their autographs, and some had even given a message. In the second row Harry could see Viktor Krum ducking under his message and read aloud, 'Happy sixteenth Birthday Harry. Keep up with those moves I saw with the Horntail. Viktor Krum.'

He looked up to the grinning Ron and toppled him over as he lunged at him with a bear hug.

'How did you get this?' he shouted while the two wrestled on the floor at Hermione's feet.

Sitting up, Ron told him that he sent Krum an owl, telling him that it was Harry's birthday and suggested his idea. 'Krum was more than willing to help. He's really a pretty nice guy after all,' Ron said smiling sheepishly at Hermione.

'Of course he is. Oh and that reminds me, Viktor said he'd like to talk with you about something. He wouldn't say what but that he would owl you sometime,' Hermione told Harry shrugging.

'I guess that'd be all right,' Harry turned his attention back to his gift and to Ron. 'Thanks mate. This is the best gift you've ever gotten me.'

Hermione's gift was next and it proved, unsurprisingly, to be more practical than fun. He unwrapped the large and heavy book-shaped package to reveal a textbook like no other he had ever seen. The leather binding was a light cream colour and felt warm to the touch. The spine of the book was rigid and bumpy, feeling like a small spinal cord as Harry ran his finger down it. Across the front were the words Deadliest Dark Arts.

'It's a book that teaches all about the dark arts rather than its defense,' Hermione told him seriously. 'It's the one the sixth year Durmstrang students used. Viktor sent it.'

'Ah,' Harry said slowly putting it down as it got increasingly warmer, 'so the binding isn't real skin is it?' he asked.

'No, I think it's just a charm, but I think it'll be really useful seeing what Dark Wizards have learned. It can't hurt to know what you're up against right.'

'You're absolutely right as usual Hermione. Thanks, I'll read it as soon as I can.'

Harry spent the next half hour opening the other presents left for him by friends and family. Mrs. And Mr. Weasley had given him a load of homemade mincemeat pies and a tin of fudge, Bill gave him a serpent shaped stone that he found while in Egypt, and Charlie gave him a really nice new pair of shiny blue Dragon hide gloves.

The gloves came with a card from Charlie telling him they were made from the shed scales of a Swedish Short-snout, and explaining that they didn't make them out of the scales of Hungarian Horntails.

The twins had given him the largest of all the parcels: a box three feet tall and two feet wide either way. Inside Harry found all of their newest joke shop inventions, including the Know-it-all Knocker, as well as all of their old inventory.

Several members of the Order had left him gifts as well. Tonks had given him a book on intermediate Metamorphmagi, and Kingsley Shacklebolt, one on defensive dueling requirements for the Auror training tests. Mundungus Fletcher had given him a package of sweets that looked oddly like mouse heads, and Harry put them aside in his trunk, not certain he should eat them until he knew just what they were.

After having opened all of his gifts and flipped through some of his books Harry put his things away and laid back down on his bed to talk with Ron and Hermione.

After they had talked for another good hour, Mrs. Weasley came trotting up the stairs and told them all off for still being awake. Hermione waved at them as she was pulled out of the room, and the door was slammed shut.

Harry lay back under the blankets, in his third bed in a month, trying hard to clear his mind so that he would not have another nightmare.

'Goodnight Harry. It's good to have ya back.' Ron whispered through the darkness from his bed across the room.

'Goodnight Ron,' Harry whispered in response, 'It's good to be back.'


	6. Hogwarts' Registry

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A/N: Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has so kindly supported my story so far. It's really great to see reviews after every chapter is posted and it completely makes my day when I read them : D Thanks again to all of you: _PruePotter, Kyra Kitsune Ryu, ladeportista4, DawnRising, misfit2008, Stranded Stargazer, Ice-Pheonix-Tears, Weasely, SlytherinFan15, HandsOff, pad's gurl584, Nightwing 509, Flying with the pixies, Britni Puccio, hye em yes, Kim Kotchanski, BabeBunny_

Kyle : D

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**Chapter 6: Hogwarts' Registry**

The morning of Percy's wedding dawned bright and warm, and Harry was awakened by the high and excited voice of Mrs. Weasley and the large amount of noise she made as she rushed through his and Ron's bedroom, setting out their dress robes.

'Come along now you to, get up!' she said quickly as she tried to unrumple Ron's perfectly smooth robes from across the room.

Harry lifted one sleepy eyelid and saw that the tiny blue alarm clock that he'd brought from the Dursley's was now showing half past six. Rolling onto his side, he pulled the covers back up onto his head and tried his hardest not to hear the dumpy red-haired woman's pleas for them to hurry.

He could not figure out how it could possibly take the bride, let alone them, five and a half hours to get ready for the twelve o'clock ceremony. All he'd have to do is shower and put on his robes after trying his best to flatten his untamable hair. Alright, so his hair might take a while, but that's all.

The room went silent and Mrs. Weasley had evidently given up on trying to stir the sleeping boys, when suddenly Harry felt his bed tilt sideways and he was thrown toward the center of the room where he landed on a comforter in a heap right next Ron.

Harry sat up quickly, untangling his foot from the blanket, and looked around to see what his bed had done. He was surprised to see that Mrs. Weasley had not left the room, but was now standing at the doorway, her wand outstretched and both his and Ron's beds were now sitting quite comfortably upside down on the ceiling.

'That should do it, I think,' she said to herself and turned to walk out the room, 'breakfast started ten minutes ago,' she informed them loudly as she stalked out of the room, mumbling about seating charts and gooseberry pie.

Harry looked over at Ron and was not in the least surprised to see that he had been unaffected by his mothers antics to wake him, but rather lay on his back snoring, with his arms and legs splayed out around him. Harry smiled and shook his head, thinking of all the times Ron's snoring would have kept him awake at the burrow, if he had not been accustomed to uncle Vernon's roaring snores for the eleven years of his life prior to meeting his best friend.

He rolled over and gave Ron a hard prod in the ribs, causing his eyes to fly open and the red-haired boy to sit up and look around him wildly.

'I'll tell mum if you-' he started to say, but then relaxed and smiled sheepishly at Harry who was now standing over him and laughing. 'Well, I thought it was Fred or George testing another one of their stupid jokes on me,' Ron said, balled fists rubbing his eyes as he too stood up now and walked over to his school trunk where he could put on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

Harry started to put on his dress robes carefully, trying to avoid wrinkling the perfect pleats of the royal blue and crimson fabrics, before getting stopped by Ron who told him he was mad.

'Mum'll kill you if you get anything on those before the wedding! We're not supposed to put them on until after breakfast.' He told him warningly, knowing exactly how upset his mother would be with the both of them.

Harry put his dress robes down, and like Ron, threw on a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt. As the pair walked out of the bedroom to head down for breakfast, Harry paused to inspect himself in the mirror above Ron's bureau, receiving a 'You look wonderful dear, but I would take a shower for good measure.'

Ron laughed at him and they started the three-story descent toward the kitchen, stopping only once to laugh at a blown up portrait that the twins must have charmed of Neville, from their third year after he had eaten a canary cream. One second it was a portrait of a smiling Neville, the next there was a loud pop and a burst of yellow feathers revealed a confused looking, boy sized canary.

Harry followed Ron through the entrance hall and down a long corridor to the right where they stopped before a seemingly large dead end. The wall before them was adorned with a large painting of a bowl of fruit, and Harry laughed out loud when he realised what it was. The twins had replicated the painting that covered the entrance to Hogwarts' kitchen.

'Go for it Harry,' Ron told his friend, stepping out of the way so that Harry could reach up and tickle the pictured pear that sat in the fruit bowl.

The instant he had done this, a small handle appeared allowing the wall to swing forward so that the boys were greeted with a sound that rivaled the Great Hall on Halloween. The entire wedding party sat around a large wooden table, much like the Gryffindor's in the Great Hall, and were piling loads of food onto their shining brass plates as they spoke amongst one another.

Harry noticed that Lupin was once again sitting near one of the ends of the table reading a copy of the Daily Prophet, while Tonks seemed to be filling her plate for what Harry assumed, at least the third time. At the opposite end of the table, together, were Percy and Penelope, both of whom looked more than a little excited. Percy's regularly upturned nose was not pointed north but rather south as he stared into his betrotheds eyes and looked genuinely happy.

Penelope was even prettier than Harry had remembered and was now a couple of years older than the last time he had seen her. She was radiating a sort of thrill and happiness that Harry thought impossible before at least eight in the morning.

Above the table Harry noticed what was left of a party banner covered in streamers and somehow, icing. It read Congratulations Ginny, new Gryffindor Prefect! Harry smiled at the thought of the yound red-head giving orders and dealing out punishments. He would have to congratulate her later.

Harry scanned down the table and saw Alicia seated next to Fred and Angelina next to George, all four of them laughing about something the twins had most likely done. Across from them, Katie Bell and Lee Jordan sat arguing with each other about something that Harry could just hardly make out the words above the roar of other conversations, 'Bulgaria should never have made it to the cup.' Next to twins Hermione sat quietly concentrating hard on something. Harry blinked to make sure he was seeing things right, yes, she was reading.

Between her and Percy sat a much taller dark-haired boy Harry knew was called Roger Davies. He was talking across the table to Ginny, who was smiling stupidly as she stared at him through glossy eyes.

Harry and Ron stepped further into the kitchen to try and take the two empty seats between Ginny and Katie Bell, their presence still completely unnoticed by the large crowd of people.

Harry also noticed that at the far end of the table across from Lupin and Tonks sat two pretty blond-haired women, Bill, and Charlie. The four of them seemed to know each other quite well, and Harry assumed that the girls must have been Penelope's family members.

Pulling out the chair next to Ginny, Harry sat down with a plop and watched as Ron did the same next to him. He leaned over and asked Fred to pass him the tray of bacon, and was assaulted by a sudden onslaught of greetings and how are you's by everyone who had just noticed him.

'What do you think of our house?' Fred asked him, leaning over the table and smiling expectantly at him. George leaned in as well waiting for his answer.

'It's really great you guys. I just can't believe you bought it!' Harry said taking a large mouthful of eggs and watching their faces.

'Well,' Alicia started to say, 'we decided that we weren't ready to be separated yet, so instead we'll stay right here together, and not very far from all of our friends up in the castle.'

'Three hundred and ninety two steps away to be exact,' George added grinning at them all.

'We measured the day we bought it,' Fred said, a smile identical to his twins splayed across his face.

'You should have seen the look on Filch's face when we told him that we'd be visiting every once in a while!'

'He looked like he was going to faint,' Katie said laughing loudly, and the surrounding company joined in.

'He said he was going to talk to the Headmaster about keeping old students out of the castle, but Dumbledore came by the next day and told us that-' Lee Jordan was cut off.

'Any student who wished to visit their old school and friends is more than welcome anytime during the school year,' a soft old man's voice finished.

They all turned to see Dumbledore standing behind them, smiling widely at the thought of Filch's request, and now laughing openly with the rest of his students, new and old.

'Professor, are you in the wedding party?' Harry asked the old man, smiling curiously as he shoveled another forkful of egg into his mouth, and watched as the Headmaster sat down five chairs away.

'I will be marrying the young couple, Harry,' he told him, his bright blue eyes twinkling with their regular gleam, as he looked at the couple.

'And I can't tell you how much this means to the both of us,' Penelope said to her old Headmaster from her spot at the head of the long table.

'We will find a way to repay you,' Percy added, smiling in his direction.

'That will not be necessary. Just seeing the two of you together again is payment enough,' he said, before turning to Lupin and starting a quieter and more serious conversation.

'I'm so glad you agreed to be a groomsmen Harry!' Percy said to him, 'It's wonderful to see you again.' Percy held out a hand for Harry to shake, and Harry obliged, smiling feebly back at him.

'Wouldn't have missed it for the world.'

Harry continued to joke and laugh with all of his old school friends, and they talked about all sorts of things that had occurred over the summer thus far. Harry was warned not to go to the fifth floor, as it was the laboratory used in the design and testing of products for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Ron glared furiously at his twin brothers as they told the whole table about the time they had snuck into his bedroom the week before to test the invisible fire ants itching powder on him while he slept.

Harry made a note to lock their bedroom door securely every night before going to sleep.

Lee Jordan told him about how professor McGonagall had asked him to continue commentating for the Quidditch games, now that he was living just down the road from Hogwarts. Harry was excited to see that all of his old friends would still be around for his sixth year, making it look a load better now.

He looked up the other end of the table to try and catch Hermione's attention, but found that she was already having a conversation with the Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain, who seemed all to pleased to be sitting next to her. Harry looked over and noticed that Ginny was busy watching them as well, although he didn't think that she was as interested in Hermione.

It took him another five minutes of making odd noises and grunts to get her attention, before she finally leaned over and asked him what he wanted.

'I was just wondering if you could come up to mine and Ron's room after. I have something that might interest you,' he told her trying to ignore Roger Davies, who was also watching him speak intently.

'Well, I still have a lot to do to get ready, so maybe you could show me right after the wedding', she suggested before turning back to her conversation with Roger.

'Fine', Harry said loudly, 'I guess you can wait to see my O.W.L. results then.'

He grinned at seeing her head spin around so quickly that her hair whipped Roger in the face, making him lean back and hold his left eye.

'Well!' Hermione huffed loudly for the whole table to hear, 'Let's have it then. How many did you get?'

Harry's face flushed as he heard everyone stop talking and they all turned their heads toward him, clearly interested in how the famous Harry Potter had done on his exams.

'Well I did alright,' he said trying to sound modest and to avoid saying exactly how he had done, 'How'd you do?'

Hermione reddened slightly and answered the same way Harry did.

'Oh give it up!' Ron said, rolling his eyes and speaking loud enough for the whole table to hear him, 'Hermione scored the highest score ever achieved and made anew Hogwarts record: 19 O.W.L.'s.'

'That's amazing!' Harry said smiling at her, and watched as she reddened further under Roger Davies smile and the rest of the table's applause.

'I only missed the Advanced O.W.L. in Ancient Runes', she added with a disappointed look on her face.

Harry was relieved as everyone started to talk again, but was once again made uncomfortable as they were silenced by Roger Davies asking him a question.

'I ended up with fifteen O.W.L.'s my fifth year, how many did you say you got Harry?' he asked with a smug expression on his face as Hermione looked at him, clearly impressed.

'Yeah, how many did you get?' Ron asked him eagerly, 'I managed eleven, but I'm not sure how.'

'Beats our three each,' the twins said in unison, and laughed as Mrs. Weasley narrowed their eyes at them.

'Well, I got fourteen,' Harry said quietly.

'That's wonderful!' Hermione said, beaming at him, while everyone applauded and Harry saw Ron's jaw drop.

'Fourteen! How'd you manage that? You didn't pass History of Magic did you?' Ron said incredulous.

'Uh, yeah I did. And divination,' he added slowly, waiting for Ron's reaction.

'Yeah well, I got an O.W.L. in Divination as well, but I got two Outstandings in Defense, thanks to you!' he added grinning, and throwing his arm around Harry's neck. 'You must have gotten two in that as well then?'

'Actually I got three,' he answered, and watched Hermione's eyes widen almost as much as Roger Davies', 'for Intermediate, Advanced and Special Categories. They said I scored the new highest Defense mark in all the wizarding schools to date. Apparently the last person to hold the record held it for nineteen years,' he added, watching Roger's face fall further.

Everyone was still clapping him on the back and congratulating them all on their results when Harry asked a question.

'Professor Dumbledore, would you happen to know who held the record for all those years?'

The Headmaster's eyes dimmed slightly as he turned to face Harry, and Lupin looked away.

'Yes, that would be your Godfather, Harry. Brilliant with a wand!'

Several seconds of deafening silence followed this statement as everyone sat still and quiet, all of their eyes on Harry.

'Well that is true I suppose,' Harry started, smiling at everyone at the table, 'As long as he wasn't napping or chasing girls.'

'Too true Harry, too true!' Lupin shouted merrily.

The whole table burst out in laughter and Lupin smiled across the table at him, blinking away what Harry could have sworn were tears, before excusing himself quickly.

Breakfast slowly came to an end and all of the occupants at the table were newly reacquainted. Harry still did not know who the blond girls at the end of the table, but was certain that he would be introduced to them before the end of the wedding.

Everyone got up from the table several minutes later and started to make their ways back to their respective bedrooms, where they could start getting ready for the ceremony.

Harry noticed that Ron was glaring across the room at something and when he looked over he saw that it was someone. Roger Davies was pulling Hermione out of the kitchen door laughing and she was just going along with him, one hand in his, the other holding her text.

Just as they were walking out the door, Harry and Ron were stopped by Mrs. Weasley.

'Now boys, as soon as you've showered and put on your dress robes, you are to come down to the common room and find your partners for photographs.'

Pictures! Harry hadn't known about the pictures, and according to the look on Ron's face, one of distaste, he clearly knew as much as Harry did about the proceedings.

'What about my hai-' Harry started to complain, but was cut off by Mrs. Weasley shoving them out the kitchen door.

Half an hour later, Harry and Ron were all dressed and ready to go, grudgingly, downstairs for pictures. Harry had been unable to tame his hair conventionally, and when he had tried to shorten it using his newly honed Metamorphmagi skills, it turned pink instead. Rather than risk permanent damage, he returned it to normal and then flattened it the best he could with his hands before following Ron out the door, and having the mirror tell him to comb his hair as he passed.

Upon entering the common room on the first floor, Harry was not surprised to see that it was modelled to look like the Gryffindor common room. He had only been in a handful of wizarding homes, but it was starting to become apparent to him that designing a room after your common room was done quite often.

Walking over to the familiar three armchairs near the fireplace, where he, Ron and Hermione generally sat, he found that the twins, and Charlie were sitting in them surrounded by Bill, Roger, Lee, Lupin, and Percy, who now looked quite nervous, wringing his hands over and over as he leaned on Charlie's armchair.

Harry noticed that while the groom and all of his groomsmen were present, not a single bridesmaid was in the room.

'Are the girls meeting us in another room?' Harry asked the gathered men in front of him, and was met by a large amount of laughter as a response.

'Are you kidding? They'll be at least another hour! At least!' Lee answered him, 'Have you never been to a wedding?'

Harry shook his head to answer, as he had never once been to a wedding. The only formal he had ever attended was the Yule Ball in their fourth year, and he did remember Hermione starting to get ready about four hours before hand.

'So, how's it goin' Harry?' Bill asked him, and held out his hand for Harry to shake. 'Did ya have an alright summer with those Dursley's of yours?'

'Yeah, actually everything was alright. I even made friends with Dudley this summer.'

Harry spent the next forty minutes telling the men all about his summer experiences, and looked down slightly when he noticed the look he got from Lupin after telling about his encounter with Malfoy.

'Good for you!' Harry was shocked to hear Roger say, 'I've been waiting for someone to do that since his first year. If I wasn't two years older, I'd have done it long ago,' he said disappointedly.

Perhaps, Harry thought, Roger wasn't such a bad guy after all.

'And now remember,' Percy said a slight bit of his old arrogance in his tone, 'You really can't do anything about it, being Head Boy and all.'

Head Boy! Harry hadn't even thought of who they might choose. Roger had been Head Boy last year, why had he not graduated? He wondered who would be Head Girl and who the new Gryffindor Prefects would be, but was brought back to the present by someone tickling his side.

'You ready?' a girly voice said from beside him. He turned and had to struggle to keep his mouth closed when he saw Ginny in her bridesmaid dress. Unlike the ugly sounding fluffy purple dress Hermione had described to him the night before, Ginny was wearing a dazzlingly lilac one, that fit her curves perfectly, and did not look the least bit fluffy.

The silky fabric sparkled as though it were encrusted with a thousand tiny diamonds, and the one strap offered by the dress ran over her left shoulder leaving the skin on her other shoulder and most of her back exposed. The dress was cut diagonally so that it ended above her left knee and ran down just over her right one, showing off her sparkling purple high heels, that brought her two inches closer to Harry's face. Harry had only ever seen her with her hair down on her shoulders or up in a pony tail, but today she had it tied up in the back of her head in elegant twists and curls, so that only a couple of fiery red strands framed her face and fell onto her silky shoulders.

'Are you ready Harry?' Ginny asked him again, and he snapped out of his gaze, noticing immediately the narrowed looks he was getting from all six of her brothers.

'Uh, yes,' he said quickly, and pulled her to the other side of the room where her brothers couldn't stare at them. 'You look amazing Ginny!' he told her, and watched as the red in her cheeks began to rise.

'Don't you start. You look very handsome as well. I've just noticed how much taller you are now.'

'So, where are we going for pictures?' Harry changed the subject.

'Penelope got the Headmaster's permission to use the field in front of the lake, on Hogwarts grounds.'

'That'll be nice,' Harry said, not really caring where they went as long as they didn't take too long to take the photos.

Ginny turned to look who had arrived when the common room door swung open and Alicia, Katie, Angelina, and Hermione walked in, neither of the four looking pleased to be there. They were wearing what looked like Ginny's dress on the top, but were then covered on the bottom by poofy purple netting, topped off with a large blinking bow resting calmly above their bottoms.

Despite the hideous dresses, the girls all looked fabulous. Harry had only ever seen his Quidditch teammates in dresses once before, and they really did look great in them. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were all sporting the same hairdo that Hermione had, and it was the same one she had used at the Yule Ball. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant knot at the back of her head, and it was completely slicked and frizz free.

Angelina punched George in the arm when he tried to touch her dress' poofy portion, commenting on it's looking like a mosquito net.

'I'm glad I didn't have to wear one of those,' Ginny said to Harry with a relieved look, leaning close to his face and whispering so that no one else heard her.

'Why didn't you?' he whispered back, equally quiet.

'Well since I'm Percy's only sister and Penelope didn't have any, she asked me to be her Maid of Honour.'

'Oh, so who's the best man?' Harry asked, scanning the group of men in the room.

'Percy asked Bill.'

'Hey you two,' Angelina said, walking over to them while she held the netting up so not to get her shoes trapped in it. 'You better watch yourselves or you'll both be in trouble with Dean,' she joked to Ginny, who mocked laughing and told her off.

'Shut up. If you get my brothers going, I'll show you what the wrath of a Weasley really means,' Ginny said warningly, looking over Angelina's shoulder to see if any of her brothers had heard her.

When Harry looked over, he saw that they were all talking to their partners except for George because Angelina was with them.

Ron could not seem to make up his mind between staring at Hermione and glaring at Roger Davies who was very obviously gawking while she spoke to him. If Dean had been invited to the wedding and gawked at Ginny in that fashion, Harry was certain that he would have stared daggers at him as well.

Just then Penelope entered the room, followed closely by the two bridesmaids that Harry did not know.

'We'll be going down to Hogwarts now. The carriages have arrived so try and sit two pair to each alright.'

Harry watched as Percy stopped to give his beautiful bride a peck on their way through the door, and noticed that Roger slid his arm neatly next to Hermione's and wrapped her hand in his.

Did she like him? She wasn't putting up a fuss or anything, and talked to him all morning. Maybe she was just being nice. Harry's thought's were interrupted as Ginny tugged firmly on his arm, and pulled him out into the entrance hall.

The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky threatening to ruin the special couple's day. Harry walked down the large stone stepping path that led back to the road next to Ginny, and could not help but stare at her.

She looked so beautiful.

Why had he never noticed before? She had always fancied him and always acted strangely nervous around him, but now she was simply one his best friends. Now that she was dating Dean Thomas, it was clear that she was well over him and that he had missed his chance to go out with her.

Looking up ahead of him, Harry shuddered when he saw what was sitting in the road. Eight Hogwarts carriages sat glistening in the sun, their regular black exterior now decorated in blue and red garlands and bows. It was not the carriages that bothered Harry, but the creatures that pulled them. Staring at the eight bony, lizard-like Thestrals tethered to the carriages, reminded Harry of three months ago and his flight to the Department of Mysteries.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of the horrible details, Harry looked away from the winged horses, their milky white eyes staring ominously from beneath hideous white bows that sat on their heads.

He and Ginny climbed into the fourth carriage along with Katie and Ron and sat up straight, as it was all he could do to keep his robes from wrinkling.

'So guys,' Katie started to say once the carriages had pulled away from the nest and rolled slowly through Hogsmeade, 'We're the only four left.'

'What?' Harry and Ron said at the same time.

'On the Quidditch team!' Ginny said exasperatedly, rolling her eyes at Harry and her brother.

'Oh,' they both said dumbly.

'So we'll have to hold tryouts again and make a new team, what with Fred and George and Alicia and Angelina gone,' she went on.

'Hold on, I have a lifetime ban remember. That's why Ginny's on the team. OUCH!' Harry yelped as Ginny punched him hard in the arm.

'I could have made it on the team even if you were still on it,' she said crossly.

'That's not what I meant. I just mean we're both seekers is all.'

'Yeah, well Katie and I discussed it and I would rather be a chaser anyway,' she said coldly to Harry, who was still rubbing his arm, something he found he did far too often these days.

'Are you any good?' Harry asked and moved aside quickly just in case she swung again.

'She's great!' Katie said beaming at the red-haired girl, 'We've been practicing for two weeks, and I think she's at least as good as Angelina and Alicia, but we'll still need another chaser and two beaters.'

'What about those third years from last year?' Harry asked.

'Not if we can find someone better.'

'Well we can try another tryout session this year, provided I'm allowed to play,' Harry added skeptically, now rapping his fingers on the wall of the carriage.

'With that hag Umbridge gone, there's no way McGonagall will keep you off the Gryffindor team. She wants to win the cup as much as we do, and you know it!' Katie said reassuringly, as they pulled through Hogwarts gates and watched the grounds appear before them. They stepped out onto the grassy field right next to the lake and watched as Penelope and Percy led them to where the photographs would be taken.

Harry walked silently next to Ginny and looked over to the Forbidden Forest, seeing the tall dark trees swaying in an unfelt wind, and wondered exactly what might be causing them to move.

Stooping down, Harry picked up a flat stone from the shore of the lake and threw it hard, causing it to hit the surface of the water and bounce off of it several times as it skipped. Watching the lake closely, Harry smiled as the water gurgled in the center and a long purple tentacle emerged, signalling the giant squid's presence.

'Harry!', he heard his name called by a very high and excited familiar voice.

He turned toward the voice, and was instantly blinded by a bright flash as Collin Creevey took a snapshot.

'How are you, Harry? I hope you're great. That's going to make a great shot you know. Dennis said to say hello! You remember Dennis right, my little brother. Well, I've got to go help dad take the other photographs. See you Harry!'

Harry blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes trying to focus, but all he could see for the next few minutes was a bright purple spot where Collin had flashed the camera in his eyes.

How could someone have such energy he thought to himself?

Harry looked over to the right and saw a short thin man that must have been the photographer Mr. Creevey, taking a photo of Percy holding Penelope in his arms, with the once again calm surface of the lake behind them. Collin was running around with film and several smaller cameras taking random photos of people and Harry laughed as he saw each of them react as he had, followed by their minute of blindness.

Mr. Creevey had them take several photos that took approximately an hour; first the groom and his groomsmen, then the bride and her bridesmaids, followed by individual shots of each pair. Finally they had one large photo in which Dumbledore and professor McGonagall posed, having come down from the castle for the special occasion.

It was just about eleven o'clock and the wedding party was all stepping back into their respective carriages when Harry was stopped by his Head of House.

'Potter, a word if you please,' Professor McGonagall's sharp voice cut the air and made Harry stop dead, one leg in the carriage and the other still on Hogwarts grounds. 'Would you care to ride with me back to the nest, Potter?'

Harry felt that this was more of an order than a request and therefore leaned his head into the carriage and told his Quidditch teammates that he would meet up with them later.

Once sitting comfortably in the carriage, now that the pictures had been taken, Harry looked up at professor McGonagall and was mildly surprised to see a smile in the place of her usual tight-lipped expression.

'How are you Potter?'

'I'm fine professor. How are you?' Harry asked awkwardly, not understanding why she requested his company.

'I'm wonderful, thank you. Now I have something for you.' She reached into the folds of her silky lavender dress robes and pulled out a book shaped gift. 'Happy Birthday Harry,' she said happily as she handed him the tissue box sized gift.

Harry wasn't sure what to say. He had never received a gift from his Transfiguration professor and was still quite stunned.

'Thank you professor,' he said and placed the package on his lap, so that he could open it once he got back to the nest.

'Well, go on. Open it,' the old witch prompted him, clearly excited for what he was about to see.

Harry tore off the shiny green paper covering the text and then stared at the cover for a moment, not understanding the gift. He spent the next moment looking from the book to the smile on McGonagall's face before realising what this meant.

The cover of the book was old and tattered and Harry realised that it must have been hers from when she was younger. The title Daring to be Different: Animagi Transformations was faded but stood out brightly to Harry.

'You mean you'll teach me to be an Animagus!' Harry cried his approval of the gift.

'Yes, yes,' McGonagall said, trying not to laugh at Harry's exuberance at the subject, 'we can give it a try, but I can't guarantee anything. Some wizards can do it and some cannot. But considering your family history, I believe that you shall have little difficulty. Mind you, this is a privilege and not part of the curriculum. It is to be kept secret, and yes Potter, that means from Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger as well. And if I notice that your class work is suffering I will have to stop the training. Do you understand?'

'Absolutely!' Harry shouted still just as excited.

Not telling Ron and Hermione would be the hard part, but he'd already finished his transfiguration texts and the way his practicing had gone with Tonks he was sure he would do all right.

'Thank you so much professor!'

'Not a problem Potter. The Headmaster agrees with me that you should have every advantage possible, if you know what I mean.'

Harry nodded his understanding solemnly, and then tucked the book into his robes.

'Professor?', he asked, knowing that she was in a good mood, ' Now that professor Umbridge is gone,' McGonagall's lips tightened went he mentioned the pouchy-eyed woman, 'will I be allowed to play Quidditch again?'

'You better believe it Potter,' she told him, once again smiling broadly at him as they rolled up in front of the twins' home and joke shop.

As Harry helped his professor out of the carriage, she looked at him with a wink and said before walking toward the front door, 'And you had better win me that cup again!'

The sun shone brightly from it's fixed position directly above them, as the wedding party waited in the backyard of the nest for the music to signal the commencement of the ceremony.

Harry and Ginny were to walk down the aisle first as Ginny was the Maid of Honour and they would be followed by the best man and his partner. Nervous to walk down the aisle with everyone watching him, Harry heard the music begin, his cue to start walking.

'Relax, it's not your wedding,' Ginny said through the side of her mouth as she smiled at everyone. She seemed to glide down the aisle as though she had practiced, whereas Harry felt awkward and took untimed steps.

Looking out to the crowd, Harry was surprised to see a hundred different Witches and Wizards that had shown up, all of them sitting in neat simple white chairs that lined the aisle. Trying hard to not think of his nightmare, Harry looked forward and double-checked that Percy was standing at the alter in front of Dumbledore.

The Headmaster bore a proud look, beaming at the entire crowd of people as slowly, Harry and Ginny took their places next to the alter, and waited for the others to find their way.

Harry looked around the backyard from his station next to Bill Weasley, and was amazed at the decorations Mrs. Weasley had put up. The simple white chairs used for guest seating were all covered in beautiful white lilies, giving the impression that the guests were seated in a garden. Fairy lights glittered from latticework along the sides of the backyard, and added to the twinkling of the already sparkling bridesmaid dresses. The bright white chairs and twinkling scenery contrasted strongly with the dark robes worn by all of the guests, creating a mystical and dream-like ambiance.

Harry stared quietly and waited for the music to change once more. He searched the crowd and saw many familiar faces, as almost every member of the Order was there. He also noticed that several Ministry employees were present, probably old co-workers of Percy's. Then Harry saw someone that made him freeze.

Professor Snape was sitting in the middle of the crowd and he was genuinely smiling, something Harry had never seen before. A thin blond woman with icy blue eyes and high cheekbones sat next to professor Snape, smiling as well and playing with the edge of his robes.

Harry couldn't believe it. Snape was talking to the woman Harry had dreamed of at his parents wedding.

Who was she? And why was she talking to Snape?

A stage placed behind the alter, was home to fifty or so self-playing instruments, and moments later they started the tune for the brides march down the aisle, causing Harry to look away from the woman and toward the back of the garden instead. All the heads turned to the white archway at the top of the aisle, covered in fairy lights and waited with bated breath for the bride to come waltzing through.

There she was.

Harry had never seen a more beautiful girl in his entire life. Penelope no longer wore the traditional poofy white gown that she had for the photographs, but was now wearing a stunning silver dress that flowed so liquidly that Harry could have sworn it was made out of his invisibility cloak.

She slowly made her way down the aisle with one arm tucked into Mr. Clearwater's as he escorted her to the alter.

The dress fit the bride similarly to the way Ginny's did, running up over one shoulder and leaving her back exposed. Unlike Ginny's dress, once the material had crossed over Penelope's right knee, it continued around her legs into the back where it flowed in the air for twenty feet, gliding through the delicate fingers of live fairies.

Her hair was also done completely opposite to all of the other bridesmaids; where they had sleek tight knots, Penelope had the hairdo of a wood Nymph, her curly brown locks spiralling softly from their positions on the top of her head. Several strands had escaped from the top and had fallen onto her shoulders, but unlike Ginny's milky skin, Penelope's bronzed shoulders and back welcomed the glinting brown locks.

The guests all oohed and aahed as she glided down the aisle toward her husband to be, who Harry noticed had let his jaw drop open upon seeing her. Seconds later, Penelope had kissed her father on the cheek and was standing with Percy in front of their old Headmaster. Moments later the words they had been waiting for were spoken, and the crowd burst into cheers as Percy swooped down and kissed his wife.

The ceremony was completed shortly after, and all of the guests were invited to stay for the wedding reception afterward. Harry watched as one by one the guests approached the newlyweds to convey their congratulations, and many of them, including Lupin and Tonks, had purchased a gift for the couple.

Walking around the yard, Harry searched for Snape and the blond woman from his nightmare, but could not find her anywhere and gave up after half an hour of searching and asking guests who had never heard of her before.

He wandered around the backyard, frustrated, and stared at all of the tables covered in gift wrapped boxes, laughing as he saw the fairies who had once held up the brides dress, were now chasing each other excitedly around the gleaming piles .

Walking past the many presents Harry started to make his way toward a magnificently large multi-layered Wedding cake. The cake was made of twelve layers, each being a different colour and flavour, with dazzling icing that drips off each one, looking remarkably like icicles and reminding Harry of Hogwarts Christmas feast.

He started to turn away when something on a far table caught his eye: a lone book, it's pages open and a quill standing on its own scribing the pages. Harry went toward it but was stopped by the twins who had grabbed him by the arms and were now pulling him toward the back door of the house.

'Wait Fred, George. I need to-'

'It can wait,' Fred said grinning at him.

'We have work to do,' George added, as they continued to pull Harry along, who had now given up struggling fruitlessly and walked willingly alongside them.

The twins led Harry around the corner of the house where they reached into a box even larger than the one they had given him for his birthday, and pulled out an armful each of the oddest-looking devices Harry had ever seen.

'What exactly are these?' Harry asked as one of the red-haired twins stuffed a load into his arms.

'These, my good financial backer,' are the newest invention to come out of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.'

'Well actually, they haven't come out yet as they haven't been tested properly.'

'Oh no you don't!' Harry said, pushing the things back into one of the twins' arms, 'Your mother will worse than kill you if you ruin this wedding,' he said seriously, holding his hands up and wanting nothing to do with their plan.

'Come on Harry! Don't you remember the fireworks we set off in the castle last year, and how spectacular they were?'

'It would be really nice! It's our gift to our brother,' George said pleadingly toward the younger boy.

Staring them up and down for a moment, Harry finally agreed to help them and followed them with an armful of the newly made fireworks, mumbling about how much trouble they could be in, and looking for the nearest escape route.

The three boys set twenty-one of the odd-shaped firecrackers at the edge of the backyard, behind a rosebush and then set up a long string attached to each one consecutively. They then rejoined the party where Harry noticed everyone gathered in the center of the yard, all of the chairs now having been magicked to the side, and were waiting for Dumbledore to speak.

'I would like to make a toast,' Harry could hear the silver-bearded wizard saying to the crowd, 'To Percy and Penelo-'

Dumbledore's voice was drowned out by a deafening bang that made everyone gathered jump in fright and cover their heads. The many Aurors present at the ceremony had removed their wands and were surveying the lot.

'Percy look!' Penelope said, pointing high into the sky.

Everyone craned their necks and saw a myriad of colours twist through the air as a message wrote itself across the clear blue sky. Congratulations Percy and Penelope!

'Isn't it lovely!' she said staring up at the sky, as three more loud bangs sounded, and several new images joined the message in the sky.

Finally one final loud crack echoed and everyone in the garden below applauded as the form a red lion reared in the sky and a large blue eagle swooped down over its head before landing at its side.

'Thank-you so much you two!' Penelope said, rushing over to the twins and giving them both tight hugs.

'No problem sis,' George said smiling toothily at his new sister-in-law, and watching nervously as Percy walked quickly toward him.

'It's what we Weasley's do! Isn't that right?' he said, clapping a hand on Fred's shoulder and watching him breath a sigh of relief as everyone, including their mother, started to clap once more.

'Now, as I was saying,' Dumbledore gained the crowd's attention once more, staring pointedly over his half-moon spectacles at the twins and smiling, 'I wish to make a toast to Percy and Penelope Weasley. Over the past nine years I have watched these two grow and impress many staff members and students in our school. Percy was a very bright first year sorted into Gryffindor like his brothers before him, and I instantly knew that we could expect great things from him.'

Percy smiled at the old man as he continued, and Penelope placed her hand on his shoulder.

'On the other side of the school, Penelope showed an equal intelligence and keen sense for magic, as she was placed in Ravenclaw. Several times I found myself laughing as Ms. Clearwater rivaled the sixth years while she was a mere third year. While the couple before us did not meet until their sixth year, fate found a way to bring two of Hogwarts' best Head Boy and Head Girl together in a great time of need. I am certain that the two of you will be very happy together, and I now ask everyone to lift their goblets and toast to Mrs. and Mr. Percival Weasley.'

The crowd recited the toast in unison and applauded for the couple before them loudly.

Penelope raised a hand to hush them and waited for them to stop before speaking.

'I would also like to make an announcement. Firstly I would like to say thank-you to Molly for putting all of this together; it really is the most beautiful wedding. I raise my glass to you. Secondly I say thank-you from the bottom of my heart to my Maid of Honour Ginny Weasley, without whom this would not have been possible. You see it was Ginny who owled me several months ago and convinced me that Percy was still in love with me. If it weren't for you Ginny we might not have each other. Thank-you,' she said with tears in her eyes as she hugged her new sister. 'And finally we have an announcement to make. In four months time we would like you all to return to the nest so that my husband and I might introduce you to our daughter.'

Everyone stared at Penelope for a moment as she placed a hand on her stomach and Percy did the same.

There was a burst of cheers and a new round of congratulations was in order. Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Clearwater hugged the couple with tear stained faces, while their husbands shook hands and congratulated them.

'In light of this new event,' Dumbledore said loudly over the roar of excited people, watching as they once again fell silent and stared at him, wondering what other surprises could possibly await them, 'I would now like to give the Weasley's their wedding gift.'

Harry watched as he flicked his wand and a book came sailing over the crowd's heads, narrowly missing Angelina's right ear, and landed tightly in Dumbledore's hands. Harry stepped closer to the Headmaster, realising that this was the book he had seen writing in itself just before the twins had pulled him away.

'Oh my!' Hermione, who had just appeared at Harry's side, said impressed, 'How nice.'

'What do you mean? What is it?' Harry whispered to her, wanting very badly to know what the odd book was used for.

'It's the Hogwarts Registry,' Hermione whispered back to him, 'Every witch or wizard born gets their name written in that book so that when the time comes they will receive their Hogwarts letter.'

'Oh!'

Harry watched as Dumbledore opened the book and held the bright red quill that had been standing on its own minutes before.

'Percy and Penelope,' he said, 'Your daughter will surely be one of the great admissions to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

Every one applauded once more, whispering amongst themselves and patting Percy on the back..

The rest of the reception went by quickly as guests danced and ate, as the night went on. Harry noticed the red quill with the Hogwarts Registry stand up several times from its place in a corner, and add a name when a child was born.

Finally the guests started to slowly trickle out the front door until it was down to the Hogwarts professors and the wedding party. Thinking he would go up to bed early, Harry started to make his way down the path and toward the front door, looking up to see Hermione slow dancing with her head rested on Roger Davies' shoulder, and Ron glaring at him from where he danced with Katie.

'Harry!' a voice called from behind him, making him wheel around to face a grinning Percy, 'Are you leaving already?'

'Yeah, I think I'll turn in early tonight. I'm completely zonked.'

Percy smiled at him and shook his hand, thanking him for being a groomsman once more.

'Off to bed Harry?' Dumbledore stepped up to the boys quietly, his velvety purple robes fluttering behind him in the cool air.

'Yes sir'

'Well, I'll see you next week for a training session then,' Dumbledore said quietly to him, as the song playing in the background ended, and Ron and Hermione came strolling up to meet them.

'What's going on?' Ron asked, staring at Harry and the Headmaster expectantly.

'I was just collecting the Hogwarts registry before I leave, Mr. Weasley,' Dumbledore said kindly to the freckled boy, before reaching toward the small table behind them to pick up the book.

He stopped abruptly as the quill stood itself up once again and began to write a new name at the bottom of a page. Dumbledore looked over his glasses and smiled as he read the name.

'Ah, well Harry, it would seem that your aunt has had her baby.'


	7. The Sorting Hat's New Story

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A/N: Thanks again to everyone who have been leaving me such wonderful reviews! I'm afraid this will be the last update for the next couple of days, but I promise to have the next chapter up by Friday. Take care : D

As for my anonymous reviewer, I had no way to answer you questions so i'll do it here. Thank you for pointing out my errors to me first of all. I'll be more than happy to erect my Sirius and Wronsky Feint blunders, however i must stand strong with Mrs. Figg's being a witch. i think it quite possible for her to have little skill with a wand provided she was only at Hogwarts for a year and a half before being removed from the magical world. Not practicing magic for forty years and having only the skills of a first and a half year definitely gives her every right to call herself useless with a wand against a Dementor. I also said that she was a Squib by choice. As for Tonks' grandmother, I initially had her down as Mrs. black but then changed it as I liked the idea of Tonks having somethingin common with her father's side, rather than teh nasty Black's. It's quite possible that Ted the Muggle was adopted and that Aphrodite Tonks has absolutely no blood relation to her granddaughter. Tonks is simply magicked by the Blacks and her mother. Unlikely, but possible and it's how I'll explain it. I really don't want to change it : D

The errors such as antechamber and such can be seen fixed in later chapters as I have finally procured a computer that can support spellcheck! Hooray! My earlier chapter are quite likely riddled with blunders.

Thanks again for pointing these errors out to me, andwhen you find any others please let me know. Take care, Kyle : D

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**Chapter 7: The Sorting Hat's New Story**

'I didn't see that coming' Ron said quietly to Hermione, once they were back up in his and Harry's bedroom.

Harry sat on his bed across from them, unblinkingly trying to process what he had just been told.

'A witch?' he said the words out loud, 'aunt Petunia's had a witch for a daughter?' Harry repeated the words several times in hopes that they might not sound so strange, but after the fifth time, nothing had changed and he was still unable to believe it.

'Maybe this is a good thing,' Hermione said hopefully, trying to break the awkward moment, but receiving mingled looks of disgust and bewilderment from the boys.

'How could this possibly be a good thing?' Harry asked her, leaning forward on the bed toward her, and looking her hard in the eyes, 'Please Hermione, explain it to me.'

Hermione shifted uncomfortably on the bed under the boys' glares, but maintained the calm voice she generally used when explaining something basic to the pair.

'Well, I just thought that if your new cousin is a witch, then maybe you'll have a new friend in a few years at the Dursley's. That is provided they treat her the same way they treated you.'

Harry's anger and shock rushed away from him, as his body was flooded with an entirely new emotion: pity. What if the Dursley's did treat their daughter as badly as they had him?

'I've got to warn Dumbledore. What if they keep her in the cupboard under the stairs?' Harry said, sickened by the thought of the tiny girl locked in the damp space.

'Oh Harry, don't be so melodramatic!' Hermione said, rolling her eyes, and once again winning herself nasty glares from both boys. 'Think about it. It's Petunia's only daughter, and since Dudley isn't her little man anymore, she'll want to take good care of her. Besides they'll probably just forbid you from telling her you're a wizard and that she's a witch. In fact, I doubt they'll even let her go to Hogwarts.'

'WHAT!' Ron and Harry both turned on her and shouted, making her jump and lean back a bit.

'Not go to Hogwarts? They can't do that,' Ron said in the air of a person speaking about a great crime.

'Knowing the Dursley's, that's exactly what they'll do,' Harry said through gritted teeth, fuming at the thought of his horrid family members.

'What can you do though mate?' Ron asked his best friend sympathetically.

'I can go to Dumbledore, and make sure my cousin knows she's a witch!' Harry said determinedly, before standing up and stalking off toward the bathroom. 'They're not going to ruin another kid's life!'

When Harry had returned from the bathroom, Hermione was gone and Ron was lying in his bed, seemingly asleep. Loud snores rose from his bed, but Harry found them far to frequent to be real. He assumed that the pair had decided to leave him to his thoughts for the night, and was grateful toward them.

He lay down on his bed and pulled his covers up to his chin, rolled onto his side and closed his eyes to begin clearing his mind. He tried not to think of how his cousin would be treated, but this just led to his thinking about his aunt and uncle, and his immense hatred for the pair, resulting in his falling asleep angry.

He found himself running through a cornfield chasing chocolate frogs and stuffing them into his mouth whenever he caught one. He ran and ran until suddenly a noise up ahead caused him to look up and trip over a particularly large clump of dirt.

Tumbling forward he broke through a wall of corn stalks and was surprised to see that he was in Hogwarts castle, just across from the statue of the one-eyed humpbacked witch. He stood up slowly, surveyed the third floor corridor for any signs of trouble, and was caught off guard when the statue slid aside and Padfoot and Prongs came rushing out of the narrow passage concealed behind it.

'What are you doing? RUN!' James' sixteen-year-old voice echoed loudly as he and Sirius grabbed Harry's robes and pulled him along.

'He's already got Peter!' Sirius added as they turned a corner and started to run up the fourth floor staircase, Harry still not knowing who was chasing them.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Sirius tripped over the edge of a suit of armor, causing him to fall spectacularly at the top of the landing. Harry turned to help him up, but James grabbed his arm and pushed him ahead.

'No, you go. I'll help him. Don't look back, whatever you do! I'll meet you at the Divination tower,' his young father told him before tuning to help his best friend.

Harry continued to run as fast as he could, not bothering to look around him as he did. All he had to do was make it to the Divination tower and his dad and Sirius would meet him there.

'Ahhhhhhhh!' Sirius' ear-splitting cry of pain tore through the air, making Harry cringe and shudder with fear.

What was chasing them? Did it get them both? What had the Marauders done to deserve this?

Harry's feet pounded the stone floor as he started to climb the winding staircase up to the rope ladder that he knew hung fifty feet above him. As he passed one of the doorways, he happened to glance inside and almost fell over when he saw his mother looking back out of the window at him. What was she doing in there?

He looked up ahead and saw the old ladder, much newer looking then when he first used it. Grabbing the rungs, he quickly pulled himself up toward the trapdoor, stopping with his palm on the handle and holding his breath as he saw a shadow coming up the stairs.

James' ragged form turned the last bend and came quickly to the base of the ladder, his robes torn and bloodied. There was a large gash on his left cheek and tears were flowing openly down his face now.

'He got Sirius,' he said barely audibly, before reaching a hand up to the rungs and pulling himself up behind Harry.

Harry pushed the trapdoor open and heaved himself through the opening and onto the floor, turning back to the entrance to help his father. He watched James pull himself up to the last rung and reach a hand up for help. Just as Harry grabbed his hand James let out a tortured scream and Harry saw a hairy, clawed limb wrap itself around the boy's leg.

'NOOO!' Harry screamed as he held on to his father's hand, 'I'm not letting go.'

'You have to,' James said to him, 'and close the trapdoor and lock it. Don't let him get you too! I love you Lily!'

With that, he let go of his hand and was pulled away from the ladder, deafening screams rising to Harry's ears as he slammed the trapdoor tightly and threw the iron latch across it. James' screams continued for another minute before it became deathly silent.

'No!' Harry screamed as he leaned with his back on the wall. What was happening? Why had his father called him Lily, and who was killing them one by one?

**BANG!**

The latch on the trapdoor rattled and Harry scurried back, terrified of what was trying to get inside. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He raised it and stood ready in his duelling stance when he noticed something odd. This wasn't his wand.

An eight-inch light coloured wand lay firmly within his grasping fingers and he did not understand whose it could be. This would be of little use, he decided, and ran over to professor Trelawney's desk in hopes of finding something that he could use in defense.

**BANG!**

Another loud bang on the trapdoor made him jump and knock over a cart carrying a crystal ball. He bent down to pick it up, thinking that at least it would be heavy enough to hurt something if thrown at it. He looked for a moment into the sphere and dropped it again having seen not his, but his mother's reflection looking back at him.

He stood up and ran over to one of the large mirrors hanging on the back wall, kicking poufs out of his way as he hurried. He stopped in front of the mirror, pulled off the frilly scarves covering its gleaming surface, and found that he was in fact Lily Evans.

He touched his face and found that there were not glasses resting upon his nose, and then he reached up to his head and tangled his hand in a large clump of long, curly hair pulled back with a tie.

'What is going on?' he cried, so loudly that he thought his throat would tear in half.

**BANG!**

The trapdoor flew off of its hinges and Harry watched through his mother's eyes as a creature's clawed arms reached up through the opening and started to pull itself up. He looked around for something to use but jumped abruptly as a hand shook his shoulder.

Harry opened his eyes and saw Ron staring back at him nervously, fear etched onto his face.

'Harry are you alright?' Ron said loudly, looking at him oddly, 'What happened? You started screaming in your sleep and then you were thrashing your arms and legs around. I didn't know what to do.'

'It's alright Ron. No big deal.' He lied, unable to think about what had just occurred.

He saw the disbelieving look on Ron's face and knew that he wasn't buying it.

'Listen Ron, I did have a nightmare, just not what you think. I dreamed that Snape was chasing me down the hallway for not handing in a paper, and when he caught me he reinstated my lifetime ban for Quidditch.'

Ron's eyes widened, and he looked sympathetic.

'Whoa! I'd scream too, if I had to dream about Snape. At least it was just a dream though.' He added clapping Harry on the back, and visibly relaxing now. 'I'm going to try and sleep again. Are you sure you're alright?'

'I'm fine Ron,' he lied again, and watched as the redhead clambered back over to his four-poster and laid his head onto his pillow.

Harry laid his head back down and started to think about what had happened. He hated to lie to Ron, but he couldn't explain his nightmare to him, as he did not understand it himself.

Once again he had seen the sixteen-year-old versions of the Marauders, but this time, instead of seeing his mother's terrified expression, he was forced to feel her fear and live through what she had. What did it mean?

Harry continued to think about it as he laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling until he felt sleep tug at his eyelids, and he fell asleep once more.

The next morning proved to be much like any other at the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley woke them up for breakfast, and when Harry and Ron entered the Hogwarts-like kitchen they found one of the largest meals she had ever made splayed across the table.

Just as the morning before, the two boys were the last ones to descend and found that the rest of the wedding party were already eating and conversing animatedly. Harry plopped back down next to Ginny like the day before and watched as Ron sat next to him and stared over at Hermione, who once again had a textbook in front of her, but was plainly ignoring it and instead carried on a conversation with Hogwarts' Head Boy.

Seeing Hermione's once again large bushy hair, Harry looked at the rest of the wedding party and noticed that the girls no longer had their hair done elegantly and were now back to pants and T-shirts.

Angelina, having guessed what it was he was looking at, leaned over the table and told him loudly that she had used the reductor curse on hers and that it was now lying in pieces up in her room, preventing anyone from ever suffering again. Everyone laughed loudly, despite the obvious insult to the bride's choice of gowns, and looking around Harry saw why.

'Where are Percy and Penelope?' he asked curiously, craning his neck and scanning the large kitchen in case they were hiding just out of view.

Harry noticed Lupin give Tonks a funny look before lifting his copy of the Daily Prophet in front of his face and hiding altogether.

'They're gone on their honeymoon Harry! Where do you think married couples go?' Hermione said plainly, clearly used to explaining everything to him and Ron.

She looked up at Roger Davies who smiled back at her and she reddened significantly.

'Where'd they go?' Ron asked, knowing nothing of his brother's whereabouts.

'Penelope said they were going to Bulga- OUCH!' one of the blond bridesmaids started to say from her spot at the end of the table before being cut off by the other one and leaning over to rub her foot that had so obviously been stomped on.

'Paris. Yes she said they were going to see Paris for the rest of the summer,' the other girl said smiling

broadly at the whole table, while she glared pointedly at her friend who now looked away shamefully.

'This is a delicious breakfast Molly!' Lupin said loudly, interrupting the awkward silence from everyone at the table and changing the topic of discussion quite unsmoothly.

'Thank-you Remus' she replied, narrowing her eyes at the first blond girl and then again at Lupin, clearly unsure of whatever was going on. 'Yes, well,' she regained composure and started to speak to the whole room loudly, ' I thank you all for coming to this blessed event and I hope that you will all return again in four months to meet my granddaughter.'

Over the course of the day, people were slowly starting to pack up and leave the Nest, saying their goodbyes, and reassuring Mrs. Weasley that they would without a doubt return in December.

By four o'clock the large group had been whittled down significantly to leave only the Weasley family, Harry, Hermione and the other inhabitants of the vast home.

Harry and Ron lay on their backs in the newly undecorated back-yard day dreaming in the sun's warm rays while Hermione sat facing them with her back against a large tree, the sunlight only punching through bits of the green canopy. Crookshanks lay, purring peacefully, in the hollow created by her crossed legs while she read Harry's copy of Defend, Don't Die with an intense curiosity playing on her features.

'You did say Lupin gave you this, right?' she asked, not lifting her eyes from the book but continuing to scan from left to right across the page, not wanting to miss a single detail.

'That's what I said. Thinks it would be helpful,' Harry replied.

'He's right. Have you read any of this? It's very dark and it sounds extremely dangerous, but it really would give you the upper hand against, well you know what I mean.'

'That's why he said he gave it to me,' Harry said sitting up now and lifting his hand to his brow as a shield so that he could see Hermione. 'I've only started reading it, but there are some curses I've read about that sound as bad if not worse than the Unforgivables.'

'What could be worse than Avada Kedavra?' Ron said plainly, entering the conversation but not bothering to open his eyes or sit up.

'RON!' Hermione hissed at him, 'Don't ever say that! Even if you're not holding a wand.'

Ron laid perfectly still, unchanged and completely indifferent to Hermione's scolding. Crookshanks, deciding he was tired of laying on Hermione's lap, got up and trudged over next to where Ron was laying and curled up by his side.

'Traitor,' Hermione hissed at the ginger-coloured cat, which ignored her completely like Ron, and started to laugh when she noticed Harry snickering.

The pair continued to talk for the next hour while Ron who was seemingly napping would interject and argue the opposite of whatever Hermione said. Harry loved it; it was like being back at Hogwarts and now he really was with his two best friends.

He laughed openly now as Ron had sat up to argue that the inventor of Chocolate Frogs was in fact a genius, causing both Ron and Hermione to stop and look at him. Ron started to laugh too, but Hermione leaned back on the tree with a disgruntled air about her and continued reading Harry's book.

Just then they heard the back door fly open and saw all of the inhabitants of the house pile out into the yard with broomsticks, Ginny carrying her Cleansweep and Harry's Firebolt

'Up for a match?' Fred asked Harry. 'We've been dying to see you play again.'

'Yeah sounds great!' Harry cried, jumping up toward Ginny and grabbing the Firebolt, as Ron dashed toward Bill to get his Cleansweep.

Harry asked George why there was a chain link attached to the end of his broom with an iron peg and the whole group roared with laughter when he told them that it was reminiscent of their escape from Umbridge the year before.

Fred and George were team captains and split the group so that the teams were equally fair. On Fred's team he was a beater while Katie and Alicia were chasers, Ginny was seeker and Ron played keeper. On George's team he was beater while Angelina and Charlie were chasers, Harry was seeker and Bill took keeper.

Harry threw his leg over the edge of his broomstick and kicked off hard, feeling the wind rush through his hair as he soared upward toward the clear blue sky. It had been so long since the last time he had been allowed to ride his broom, making this feel so much better. He whipped around the perimeter of the Nest a few times, looking over the town of Hogsmeade and toward the welcoming castle in the distance, before rejoining his teammates for their match.

For the next two hours the group played Quidditch, managing unbelievably to finish six matches while Lee Jordan commentated and Hermione watched from beside him, flipping her interest back and forth between the game and her text.

Of the six matches Harry only managed to catch the snitch four times narrowly missing it twice as Ginny swooped in and caught it, much to the pleasure of her teammates. The matches were finally called to a halt when Mrs. Weasley bustled outside to tell the hungry group dinner was ready.

The following six days were the most relaxed Harry had seen this summer, filled with nothing but relaxation and Quidditch. As it turned out, Ginny was a much better chaser than seeker, and that was saying something.

Hermione continued to read all of her new textbooks and Ron continued to do absolutely nothing school related while she nagged him about it. Harry had not once had a nightmare related to either Voldemort or his parents and was finally glad to put the entire ordeal out of his mind. On the whole, Harry felt that this was the perfect way to end his summer holidays.

The morning of September first dawned bright and early, the sun slowly creeping in through the uncovered window of the boys' bedroom, and Harry once again found himself in a heap on the floor next to Ron.

'Get up! You'll be late if you two don't hurry,' Mrs. Weasley cried at the pair, having once more flipped their beds onto the ceiling.

'What time is it?' Ron asked through bleary eyes as he tried to read Harry's small alarm clock on the bureau across the room. 'Blimey! It's half past eleven Harry. We've missed the train again!'

Ron and Harry were both off the floor and scuttling around the room in a frantic hurry, throwing on their robes and stuffing their school things into their trunks the best they could. Dragging their things behind them, they rushed out onto the third floor landing where they ran full into Ginny, who was also lugging her trunk behind her and was now sprawled on her back over top of it.

'What's your hurry?' Ginny asked as she accepted Harry's hand to pull her up.

'We've missed the Hogwarts Express Gin'

'Mum's going to kill us!' Ron added, looking around him frantically for his mother, as though she may have been hiding in the shadows ready to ambush them.

'You're kidding right!' Ginny started to say, laughing at the frantic sixteen-year-olds in front of her.

'What are you laughing at?' Hermione asked the red-haired girl as she came up the stairs behind her.

'These two are all in a hurry because they think they've missed the train,' Ginny told her, and the two of them started to laugh at them again.

'Why are you laughing, you've missed it as well,' Harry said firmly, starting to get annoyed at the girls laughing at him.

'Oh really Harry! Do you think that I, Hermione Granger, would be foolish enough to miss the school train?'

Harry eyed her up and down and saw that Ron looked just as confused as he did.

'We're in Hogsmeade!' She finally said exasperatedly. 'We don't meet the train at the town station for another six hours.'

Harry and Ron both collapsed onto the landing and took deep breaths, both of them relieved that they had not missed the train, but also embarrassed that they had made such fools of themselves in not remembering such a simple thing as where they were.

'I take it you're all packed then?' Ginny said laughing as she followed Hermione down the staircase, her heavy trunk making a loud thump every time it fell down another stair.

Harry and Ron stood up and followed the girls, their trunks adding to the loud clunking of Ginny's as they made their way to the entrance hall.

Breakfast this morning was different from the last week's as this would the last time all of the group would be together until Christmas. Fred and George spent the first two hours of their time telling them all about hidden passages that Filch had not found yet and about the professors' daily routines so that they could be easily avoided. Harry and Ron listened intently to all of this useful information, while Hermione rolled her eyes constantly and tried her best to change the subject at every pause in the twins report.

When Fred and George felt satisfied with what they had given to the boys that they expected to fill their shoes, Harry and Ron's attention was instantly pulled away by Angelina. For the next hour the four members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were given every helpful pointer they did and did not need to win the house cup. Even Lee Jordan, who had never played Quidditch due to his fear of flying, seemed to have hints for the remaining members of the team.

'I think we'll manage Angelina,' Katie said to her, leaning back slightly in case she decided to retaliate.

'You had better!' Alicia said, 'because we'll be at every match, and if you lose, well the other team's taunting won't be all you have to put up with.'

Harry and Ron exchanged semi-terrified looks before excusing themselves with Ginny, Katie and Hermione and walking into the backyard, leaving the five ex-Gryffindors to argue tactics amongst themselves.

'There's nothing like pressure to make you play like a pro,' Ron said sarcastically, kicking a pile of leaves out of the way as the small group walked toward the edge of the backyard.

'Oh don't even think on it Ron,' Hermione said, placing a hand on his shoulder, 'I've been watching you play all week. You've really gotten good! I don't think the other houses will stand a chance.'

'We'll see,' Ron said quietly, but had turned a shade of red that matched his fiery hair.

Katie and Hermione discussed her upcoming N.E.W.T's while Ginny whined about her O.W.L's.

'They're really not that bad Gin. There's nothing to worry about,' Ron told her, 'If Harry can pull off fourteen- OUCH!' he yelped as Harry punched him hard in the ribs and the two began to wrestle.

After an early supper, the time to leave the Nest rushed toward the returning students and they began to say their goodbyes. One by one they all got hugged by Mrs. Weasley, and then surprisingly by either Fred or George.

Once out on the road with their things, Hermione sighed and shook her head at a small roll of parchment in her hand.

'Can you believe those two?'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked her, confused by her reaction and wondering what she was holding.

'Check your pockets, I'm sure everyone has one.'

Sure enough all four of the others emptied their robe pockets and found identical rolls of parchment. Unrolling hers, Ginny read aloud:

Tired of sitting through your lessons? Would you rather be sleeping or doing nothing? If you answered

yes to either of these questions, we have the solution for you.

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

Come and see our newly redone Skiving Snackboxes, now with more than eight ways to appear seriously ill, ensuring your immediate removal from undesirable lessons. Many new items aswell, including the Anti- Umbridge Fireworks and Portable Swamps.

Newly located at 23 Hog's Road, directly across from the Shrieking Shack

'So that's why they hugged us,' Ginny said rolling her eyes stupidly. 'I wondered what was going on. They've never hugged me in my life.'

'Well, hand them over. We'll have to dispose of them before they get out around the school,' Hermione said holding an outstretched hand toward the others.

'Are you mad?' Ron said to her, holding his roll far out of her reach and watching as the others placed theirs back in their pockets. 'We have to hand them out so that the twins get some business,' he added as though it was the right thing to do.

'Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing Filch scramble a little, after the way he acted last year with Umbridge,' Harry said, smirking as he imagined the look on the caretaker's face when the twins' products invaded the castle.

'Fine! Do what you want, but I for one will take no part in creating mayhem. I am a Prefect after all,' Hermione said stiffly, staring pointedly at Ron and Ginny, both of whom pretended not to notice.

For the next few minutes as they made their way to the Hogsmeade Station, Hermione did not talk to any of them, but rather stared ahead of her and led the way.

Ron waved at the old couple who owned Honeydukes Sweet Shop as they passed and received a half-hearted hello in return. They all waved at the owner of Zonko's who was out sweeping his walk and Ron and Ginny were confused when he only said hello to Harry, Hermione and Katie.

'What was that about?' Ron said to Ginny, who shrugged her shoulders and was just as clueless.

The five friends climbed the steps to the station platform and took a seat on their trunks near the edge of the platform to wait for their friends' arrival. Barely five minutes had passed when they heard the first high-pitched whistle in the distance, signalling the arrival of the train.

Slowly the whistle got louder as it approached and the screeching of the braking wheels filled the air as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform and expelled a large puff of billowing white steam. The doors slid open and the once silent platform was riddled with laughing voices from the students and the odd hooting, meowing, or croaking from their pets as they unloaded their baggage.

Harry watched as Dean Thomas came running over to give Ginny a hug before backing up slightly at seeing the threatening look in Ron's eyes.

'How are you Harry?' a voice said from behind him, and he spun to see who it was.

'Neville! Good to see you!' Harry said clapping a hand on the tall boys shoulder. 'Grown a bit have you?' he said noticing the remarkable change in his normally short, stout friend.

Neville had grown at least five inches over the summer and had lost almost all of his baby fat. He seemed, like Harry and Ron, to have done some sort of training in the summer and no longer looked unfit.

This change did not go unnoticed by any of the girls on the platform. They all seemed to be looking over at the three boys, all having grown significantly over the holidays, and neither of them gangly or chubby anymore.

'Good holidays boys?' Parvati Patil said, walking up to them, Lavender Brown following closely behind her.

'Yes. Thank-you Parvati,' Neville said loudly, looking at her and then at Lavender. 'And how about the two of you?' The girls giggled and exchanged funny looks.

'Oh very good holidays indeed. Lavender and her parents came with my family on holidays to Italy. It was beautiful.'

Harry noticed that both the girls had very dark tans, something odd for Lavender who was normally as white as cotton.

'Well, we'll see you at the feast,' Parvati said, and pulled Lavender along behind her through the throngs of excited students.

'Well come on Ron. You too Ginny,' Hermione said, grabbing both their sleeves and pulling them toward a carriage at the front of the long row of Hogwarts carriages. 'We have our duties to perform.'

'See you inside,' Ron called to Harry and Neville before disappearing inside one of the large black carriages being pulled along by the eerie looking Thestrals.

'Shall we?' Neville said to Harry and the boys started to make their way toward the row of carriages, stopping when they heard their names called aloud by someone to their left.

'Harry, Neville, we've got an empty one over here,' Seamus Finnigan's thick accent cut through the air, causing the boys to look over to the fifth carriage where the boy stood on it's wooden step, beckoning for them to come over.

Neville and Harry made their way over and hopped in, finding Seamus and Dean already seated and waiting for them. Just as the carriage started to pull forward, another hand through itself inside and Harry smiled as Luna Lovegood pulled herself onto the seat next to him.

'Hello Harry,' she said in her dreamy voice, her bright orange turnip earrings dangling from her ear lobes,

'You don't mind do you? All the other carriages are full.'

'Not at all. How are you?'

'I'm fine. I had a good summer. Dad and I went on holiday to Alaska. He set up an expedition to try and find the Scampled Tilberbeast, and he got some pretty good photos for the magazine. They're all sort of fuzzy, but it's the best evidence anyone's found so far.'

Dean snorted from his seat, and Luna showed no signs of noticing. She simply leaned back, pulled the latest copy of the Quibbler out of her robes, and began to read it upside down quietly.

'Do you know what's happened to Hagrid, Harry?' Seamus asked him suddenly, 'I noticed a young man calling all of the first years on the platform.'

'Oh yeah,' Harry said, remembering Hagrid's letter telling him that he might not be back by the start of term, 'He's fine. He's just visiting with Madame Maxime up at Beauxbatons.'

'So I guess they've worked things out between them then have they?' Seamus said smiling at everyone.

As the carriage pulled up to the front doors of Hogwarts, they all stepped out one by one and climbed the stone steps to walk into the enormous entrance hall. Remembering last year's start of term feast, many of the students were covering their heads in case Peeves decided to welcome them all with water balloons again.

Oddly enough Peeves was nowhere in sight as the students filed into the Great Hall and took their seats at their respective House tables to wait for the first years to finish their journey across the lake.

The hundreds of burning candles hovering above their heads lit the magnificent room and made it glow warmly under the enchanted ceiling. The night sky was darkening and the stars beginning to shine when all of the students and professors were finally seated.

'I can't wait to see our new Defense professor,' Hermione said eagerly from between Ron and Ginny, all three of them plopping down across from Harry and Neville.

'Anyone would be better than Umbridge at least,' Seamus said from down the table, receiving a more than hearty cheer from all those around him who had heard and agreed.

Harry scanned the staff table and noticed that Hagrid's seat was empty, but that it would be occupied by the substitute professor as soon as he arrived from the lake. Then he saw that the two seats between Snape and Dumbledore were empty. One he knew was professor McGonagall's and the other was the mystery professor's.

The doors to the Great Hall opened then to reveal a shivering row of tiny first years following a very familiar red-haired man. Charlie Weasley led the children toward the staff table, waving at the Gryffindor table as he passed it. Ron and Ginny exchanged surprised looks, as they clearly knew nothing of his being at Hogwarts.

Several of the first years were sopping wet, probably owing to the choppy water of the lake, as it was not raining. The children walked down the center of the hall quickly, some avoiding eye contact with the older students as they passed them and some looking around the room in amazement.

Dumbledore then stood and raised a hand to the chattering students. Silence fell immediately, and everyone including the Slytherins watched the Headmaster intently, unsure of what exciting or possibly preposterous message would be delivered this year.

'Welcome back to all of the returning students, and welcome to all of the first years. I only have a couple of announcements to make before the Sorting ceremony and then the feast may commence.'

Ron's stomach made a sick gurgling noise that made Ginny slide a little away from him.

'As always I must warn the students that the Forbidden Forest is indeed out of bounds as it's name might indicate,' he stared pointedly at the Gryffindor table. 'The caretaker Mr. Filch has asked me to let you all know that he has once again extended the list of items that are forbidden in the castle, and if anyone would care to see it, they should stop by his office on the first floor. Unfortunately I must inform you that found on that list is the entire inventory of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.'

A silent snicker rose from all of the tables and Harry saw that even most of the professors were chuckling at the ingeniousness of their former students.

'With that out of the way, I may now inform you that professor Charlie Weasley will be substituting for Hagrid in Care of Magical Creatures until he returns to us later this week and then will be staying on for the rest of the school year to share the teaching with him.'

Charlie stood behind the staff table and smiled at the Great Hall as the all of the students clapped loudly, welcoming him to the castle.

'Now I must introduce you to the newest member of our faculty, and new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Black.'

Harry's heart almost jumped out of his chest, and Ron, Hermione, Neville and Ginny all gasped loudly. Black? How could that be? Harry was told that when Sirius died, he had been the last living member of the Black family.

Harry looked up and noticed that Snape did not look malicious this year like all the others before it, but instead smiled slightly and began to clap along with the other professors as a door behind the staff table opened. The door to the anti-chamber in which Harry had met with the other Tri-Wizard champions two years before opened and professor McGonagall stepped out with something grey in her hands closely followed by a short blond woman. It was Harry's turn to gasp.

The short blond woman with high cheekbones and icy blue eyes walked down the table and took a seat next to Snape who smiled at her and- yes Harry had seen correctly –winked at her.

Dumbledore continued as the students clapping died down and they all inspected their new professor, many of them wondering what fate she would come to in that cursed position.

'Professor Hyacinth Black will be with us for the rest of this new school year and I know that you will all treat her kindly,' his sparkling blue eyes swept the hall and everyone remained silent as he took his seat once more.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, placed the old worn Sorting Hat on a three-legged stool, and stepped back toward the staff table. All of the students leaned in closely to hear what the Hat would say this year, wondering if it would try and give a warning like that of the year before. Then the rip near the hat's brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting hat burst into song:

In older days, there were four friends,

But you've all heard that story.

So instead I'll tell a new tale,

So listen or be sorry.

Strong Gryffindor, who taught the brave,

Befriended Slytherin, we know.

But why that friendship fell apart,

And best friends became foes,

I was there and so can tell,

What no other person knows.

I will tell you one and all,

The way the scene was played,

While cold and strict our Slytherin,

'Twas Gryffindor who betrayed.

Salazar was cold and crude

But not in the beginning.

It took a friend's knife in the back

To start his life of sinning.

He was smart and oh so cunning,

His skills he taught to all,

Bloodlines did not mean a thing,

And for a Muggle did he fall.

Slytherin then wed his bride

For years they loved each other

And he and Godric Gryffindor

Continued on as brothers.

With Helga and Rowena for

Ten years Hogwarts was grand,

Until it changed one stormy night,

I saw it all first hand.

The Muggle wife changed suddenly,

And darkened was her heart,

She turned on all four founders

And tore the friends apart

She told Rowena Ravenclaw

Cleverest of the four,

The other founders thought her dim

And would have her out the door.

To Helga sweet Ms. Hufflepuff

She lied and fed her fears,

But she did not believe her friends

Changed after all those years.

Losing patience the woman fled

To Godric Gryffindor,

And told him she wed Salazar

But loved him so much more.

Here Gryffindor made his mistake

As he too declared his love,

For just as his wife had arranged

Salazar watched from above.

Slytherin then drew his wand

And turned it on his friend,

He told him that his days on Earth

Were just about to end.

A duel ensued between the men

For what seemed like hours,

Until the other founders came

And drained them of their powers.

Good Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw

Had hung their heads in shame,

For after talking to each other

They knew exactly who to blame.

Together the four friends were strong

And the wife had no more game,

But even though it was her fault

Things never were the same.

When Salazar learned of his wife's

Betrayal he was changed.

His views from that day forward

Became more and more deranged.

He only taught the Purebloods

And lost his kindly way,

He refused to speak to Godric

And soon after went away.

When he left he left a beast,

In a secret room they say,

To be opened by his one true heir

For the monster to obey.

That I'm sure you all have heard

But what you all know not,

Is that Gryffindor too had an heir

So that one day they could have fought.

I've seen inside each of you heads

I've searched for many years.

You cannot hide a thing from me,

Not secrets, nor your fears.

And to my shock I found them both

In Hogwarts' year: the same,

But as it's all a mystery

I will not give a name.

With history to guide them

The heirs are meant to fight,

But curses can be broken

And things can be made right

Outside the castle evil waits

You all know of whom I speak,

He grows strong as you divide,

And the havoc he will wreak!

Now I have given warning

And you must all beware,

For even though I split you up

There's one thing you all share.

A thumping just beneath your robes

In each house just the same.

So once again stay united

Although it sounds quite lame.

Each house possesses qualities

For which you're sorted one by one,

But please remember history:

Four hearts bested one.

The hat fell silent and the brim closed up once more. The students in the hall looked around at one another as slowly they clapped half-heartedly and whispered to one another about what they had just learned.

The Slytherins, Harry noticed, were looking quite smugly toward the Gryffindors who were shocked and angry at what they had learned of their founder. It seemed that the other houses felt unsure of what to believe as well and seemed quite angry about what they learned about their founders as they avoided meeting any Gryffindor's eyes.

'Gets better every year, doesn't it?' Ron said to Harry sarcastically, shaking his head.

'Now, I will call out your name and you will sit on this stool and place the Sorting Hat on your head,' McGonagall told the nervous looking first years as she stepped forward once more.

'Appleton, Jenny,' she called out from a long roll of parchment, and tried to smile as a tiny blond haired girl walked slowly to the stool and placed the hat on her head.

A few moments passed and the tear in the hat opened wide again to shout 'RAVENCLAW'.

The Ravenclaw table burst into cheers as the small girl rushed over to her new house and sat down next to Luna Lovegood, who seemed to be staring off in the other direction.

Two more girls were sorted into Ravenclaw and three boys into Slytherin and Hufflepuff each. As the sorting continued, it appeared that Gryffindor would have quite a shortage of first years until McGonagall called 'Evans, Marcus'.

A rather tall first year boy who looked much older than eleven stepped forward without hesitation and sat on the stool. He lifted the hat over his dark curly hair and before it even touched down to his ears it shouted louder than ever 'GRYFFINDOR!'

The whole table erupted in cheers as the new boy walked over and sat down between Dennis Creevey and Seamus.

Before continuing, McGonagall uncharacteristically spoke in the middle of the ceremony.

'Mr. Evans is joining us this year as a fifth year student. He has just come from Durmstrang and I am certain that all of the students will do their best to make him feel comfortable with the large change.'

The entire hall was filled with whispers again as the students craned their necks to get a better look at the new boy. The Gryffindors were all just as interested, for all they knew, it was mostly dark wizards that came out of Durmstrang.

The rest of the sorting went well, except that of the thirty odd first years, only four of them were sorted into Gryffindor. Other than Marcus there were no new boys but there were four new girls: Sarah Abbot, Parmander Sclereli, Dorothy Jenkins and Deidre Whethers.

Dumbledore stood once more at the end of the sorting and sent a gold stream into the air to get the students attention.

'One last thing before we begin the feast. Please give a round of applause for your new Hogwarts Head Boy and Head Girl: Roger Davies of Ravenclaw and Katie Bell of Gryffindor.'

The entire hall broke into applause again and nobody heard Dumbledore shout 'Tuck in' before the tables were covered in one of the most delicious looking feasts they had had yet.

Several times during the evening Harry looked over and found that Marcus had been staring over in his direction, but looked away every time Harry noticed. Putting it to the back of his mind, he looked around and noticed that all of the other tables kept looking over at him and some of the students were openly pointing.

'What's their problem?' he said, annoyed by all the constant attention.

'The first years are probably trying to get a look at the famous Harry Potter. I thought you'd be used to it by now,' Ron said plainly to him through a mouthful of mashed potatoes and minced meat pie.

'I don't think so,' Hermione said quietly from next to Ron, placing her goblet of pumpkin juice back onto the table and staring hard at Harry.

'Oh you don't. Then what is it?' Ron asked waiting for her long-winded explanation, while piling another load of lamb chops onto his plate.

She looked at Harry for another second and sighed before saying what she thought.

'Well, maybe they're looking at Harry because they think he might be the heir of Gryffindor.'


	8. Showing Snape

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A/N Thanks to everyone who's been reading my story so far. I realize the chapters are quite long, but I am going for a novel length fic. I would really love to get some feedback though.. Thanks again and enjoy. To the question about the time travel I'm afraid it won't occur for quite a few chapters yet, but don't worry it happens. I've already written it all : D**

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Chapter 8: Showing Snape

'Are you insane?' Harry said to her, a shocked and disbelieving expression on his face. 'I couldn't possibly be.'

'Why not?' she asked him simply.

'Stranger things have happened to you Harry,' Neville added, having heard what the group was discussing.

'I would bet all of my galleons that you are the heir,' Ron said nodding his head in agreement for once with Hermione, 'The school year just wouldn't be as exciting if you weren't.'

'Could we please just drop it?' Harry said loudly, a cold look set on his face, causing the others to immediately change the subject and start other conversations with anyone but him.

Harry looked up the center aisle toward the staff table and saw that professor Black was now chatting idly with Snape. The pair seemed to be old friends, a prospect that did not look good for the Gryffindors.

'Know her do you?' Neville said to Harry who was unaware that anyone was still watching him.

'Uh, no. She just looks familiar to me,' he lied, not wanting to explain that he had seen her once before in his nightmares and risk sounding mad.

'Well, either way, she looks a little too chummy with Snape for my liking,' Neville said, turning back toward Lavender Brown on his left side and starting to talk to her about Quidditch.

Harry was surprised. It was not that big of a deal, but Neville had changed slightly over the holidays, in not only his appearance but his manor as well. Last year, there was no way he would have started a conversation with Hermione, let alone one of the prettiest girls in their year.

The Great Hall started to empty as everyone crowded out the large doors and headed toward their common rooms to settle in for a good night's sleep. Harry trudged out behind Hermione and Ron who were having a discussion about what their new timetables would most likely be like, and Ron seemed surprised that she had taken as many extra courses as she had.

'Hi Harry,' a girly voice sounded from behind him as he started his way up the first floor staircase leading out of the entrance hall. Turning, he found Cho Chang waving at him as she continued to walk with her friends toward their dormitory. He waved back half-heartedly and watched as she turned her attention back to her friends and continued on her way.

What was that all about, he wondered? He thought that Cho Chang had gotten over him, as he had most certainly gotten over her. Shaking his head again, he climbed the stairs more quickly and caught up with his friends who were now already halfway down one of the second floor corridors.

Katie Bell was at the head of all the Gryffindors speaking loudly to the four first years and giving them useful hints they might use to get to class on time. Harry was glad that she had become Head Girl, but truthfully he had thought that it would be Cho instead.

It appeared that the Gryffindors were doing quite well for turning out either a Head Boy or Girl for the past few years, with Katie this year, Alicia last year, and Percy the year before that. Harry was absolutely certain of who would be Head Girl his seventh year as it was quite plain to everyone that the most brilliant witch in their year should get it. Hermione argued this with him and Ron of course, but there was no doubt about it.

Walking down the long wide corridor, Harry smiled and waved at many of the familiar portraits hanging on the wall, and watched as the heads of all the suits of armor turned to watch the students as they progressed toward the portrait of the fat lady.

Just as they approached the portrait, Harry heard the fat lady congratulate Katie on becoming Head Girl and then the two new Gryffindor prefects. Harry had forgotten about them, but now the fifth year prefects were rounding about the first years and trying to huddle them together enthusiastically.

Collin Creevey had pinned his Prefect's badge on upside down, winning him several smirks from the first year girls until Ginny, his counterpart, helped him to flip it over.

Just then the smirking first years all received a shock and gasped as Nearly Headless Nick came wafting through the fat lady and hovered above them.

'Hello Nick,' Neville said loudly, 'How are you?'

'Very good Neville, thank-you,' the ghost answered smiling broadly, 'despite being rejected once more by the headless hunt,' he mumbled in a more unfriendly tone. He then lowered his head toward the group and whispered to them all, 'The new password is Murtlap Sap.'

One by one the Gryffindors filed in through the porthole into the warm and ever welcoming common room. The fire crackled in the large golden grate, lighting up the features of the golden Griffin adorning the mantle above it, and causing the gold and crimson banners overhead to shimmer when they caught the light.

The first year girls oohed and ahhed as they walked around the circular room trying to take in every detail, and touching just about everything they could reach. Marcus Evans, Harry noticed, did not look even half as pleased to be standing in the same room. He had quietly slumped over to the desk at the window and was leaning on the sill, staring out at the inky night sky.

Harry walked over to him quietly and decided that it might be best that he introduce himself to the boy. Ginny catching on to this, followed him over to the window.

'Excuse me,' Harry said, watching as Marcus turned to face him, a somber expression still in his eyes, 'I just wanted introduce myself. I'm-'

'-Harry Potter,' Marcus finished for him, holding out his hand and shaking Harry's.

'Yes, well I guess everyone knows then,' Harry said smiling at the dark haired boy, 'I didn't realize that people outside of Britain knew who I was.'

'All of Durmstrang know because of the Tri-Wizard tournament,' Marcus said casually, 'But my mom told me about you anyway.'

'Oh,' Harry said dumbly, slightly embarrassed that he had assumed his fame travelled worldwide.

'I'm Ginny Weasley,' Ginny said, also holding out a hand for the new boy to shake, 'I'm in your year so we'll have lessons together.'

'Nice to meet you. Call me Marc though, that's what all of my friends called me back home.'

'You don't really seem to want to be here,' Harry said quietly to the curly haired boy, hoping that he wasn't bein to informal in asking him this.

'I don't. I had to leave my school and friends behind, and now I'll be sleeping in a room with six other people I don't even know. How would you feel?'

Harry didn't know what to say. He hadn't thought of that, but decided that he would be absolutely miserable if he had transferred to Durmstrang and left all of his friends behind.

'Excuse me Marc,' Ron's voice cut in as he walked toward the three of them, having heard most of their conversation. 'I've just received a note from professor McGonagall, our Head of House, and she said that the fifth year boy's dormitory is too full to add another bed. Since the sixth year's only have five you'll be bunking with us, if that's alright.'

'Sounds great,' Marc answered him, trying to smile convincingly.

'Well that's one problem solved,' Ginny said to the boy.

'What's that?' Marc asked her.

'Well, now you're not sharing a room with complete strangers. You know Harry.'

Harry smiled and Marc smiled back, both of them now shaking their heads at Ginny's solution.

'Well, I'll show you up to our dormitory,' Harry said, leading the way to the right hand staircase, 'Oh and don't bother trying to go up those one's because you'll just fall back down,' he added. Laughing, Marc followed him up the stairs and decided not to ask how he knew this.

The sixth year boy's dormitory was identical to the way it always had been except that now there was a sixth four-poster stationed between Harry's and Dean's with a shiny black trunk bearing Marc's name at the foot of it.

Once the boys were changed and ready to turn in for the night, the four others walked in, and Ron had presumably told them about their new houseguest as they were all prepared to introduce themselves.

The boys stayed up and talked for another good hour, mostly about Marc's old school, and about funny things that had happened at Hogwarts in the past. Marc was warned about the Slytherins, and seemed not to mind that they would most likely taunt him every day like the rest of them. He was also warned about Snape, and agreed with the rest of the boys that Potions was indeed his least favorite lesson.

It appeared that Marc was fitting in perfectly and that many of his doubts about the move were fading away as the night carried on. Finally the lights were turned off and Harry pulled the hangings around his bed closed for the night, saying goodnight to the others and trying to clear his mind.

After several minutes, Harry found that this just was not possible. He had only been back at Hogwarts for less than four hours and already he was thought to be the heir of Gryffindor, had a new Durmstrang student sleeping in the bed next to him, and found out that his new Defense professor was a woman from one of his nightmares.

Turning over again and again, Harry tried his best to not think about what had occurred already. Perhaps none of it mattered; he couldn't possibly be the heir and there were hundreds of other students that the Sorting Hat could have meant. Marc seemed like a genuinely sound boy, and he might even turn out to be another friend, Harry thought to himself, before turning his mind to the icy blue spheres that were Professor Black's eyes.

How could he possibly have dreamed of a person that he had never before met? And how could she be a Black? Was he lied to about Sirius being the last of them?

As thoughts raced through his mind, Harry found himself once chasing chocolate frogs in the outdoors and stuffing them into his mouth. Being sure not to trip on anything, Harry continued to enjoy the constant supply of sweets as he hurried toward a small slanted building that he recognized to be the Burrow.

Slowing to a walk, Harry reached out a hand and pulled open the small door to step through the narrow door frame and into the always welcoming space. Unfortunately as Harry looked around him, he found that he was not in the kindly self-cleaning kitchen of Mrs. Weasley, but rather standing in the mouth of a particularly cold, dark cave.

Harry took in a deep breath to calm himself and gagged at the sour smell hanging in the air. He turned around, deciding that not being in a dark, ominous cave would be the best way to avoid danger. The opening through which he came was now gone and a solid stone wall was in its place. Having little choice, Harry stepped forward and began to enter the dark passage, wand at the ready, so that he could escape at the first opportunity that presented itself.

The walls were cold and wet to the touch, as he stuck to the cave's side, ensuring he wouldn't get lost.

The constant drip of water was hitting the cave floor as he made his way deeper into, or possibly out of the stone prison.

Finally seeing signs of light ahead, Harry began to hurry and only slowed when he saw that the light was coming from ahead where the narrow passage opened into a large central cave. Quietly creeping toward the edge of the large hollow, he saw that the cave roof extended approximately fifty feet above his head, and that there were a dozen other passageways similar to his, running out of the cave in all directions. He was never going to get out of this stone maze.

'Is she in place Wormtail?' a cold hissing voice cut through the damp air, making every muscle in Harry's body tense as he gasped quite loudly.

A tall robed figure walked into the center of the room, his robes billowing behind him in an unfelt wind, and Harry watched as a short, dirty man scurried forward, trembling under his master's stare.

'Y-yes m-master. She'll be there for as l-long as it t-takes m-master,' Wormtail's cowering figure answered the cowled voice above him.

'Good. I am pleased. Things are finally working out in our advantage. It seems that the boy will stand little chance of ruining my plans this time. He somehow manages to pull something out of the hat if you will, but now I can sense his worthless mudblood of a mother's love dying, and soon the protection will vanish altogether.'

Harry leaned against the cold wall, now shaking with rage as he listened to Voldemort's chilling voice speak of his dead mother with such disgusting terms.

'And soon with that idiot Fudge out of the way, there will be no one who can interfere with my plans, not even that old fool Dumbledore once I take care of him.'

Not able to control his anger any longer, Harry took a step forward and thrust his wand toward Voldemort's bony shape, channeling all of his rage into his curse 'CRUCIO!'

He watched in satisfaction as his curse struck the dark wizard and saw as he cringed slightly before raising his hand in Harry's direction and screaming 'Nooooo!'

Harry was unable to move and watched in silent horror as the bright red curse turned direction and flew back toward him. The curse, travelling in what felt like slow motion to Harry, struck him in the chest and as before he felt the burning feeling, as though every muscle in his body had been set aflame. He had only felt such pain once before, and this felt twice as bad, as he fell to the floor screaming and writhing in pain.

Voldemort laughed hysterically from his place in the center of the cave. 'Nice try Potter, but it'll take more than the nightmare of a little boy to stop me!'

Harry opened his eyes and looked up into the light blue eyes of his newest roommate.

'Harry! Are you alright?' Marc said in a worried voice from the edge of Harry's bed.

Harry lay shaking in his bed, still feeling the after effects of the cruciatus curse, searing every inch of his body. Nothing like that had ever happened before, but now it was clear, the nightmares were back.

'No worry Marc, forget it,' Harry said in a muffled voice, running a hand across his forehead and pulling it away quickly again as he felt the white-hot burning emanating from his scar, 'Go back to bed.'

'But you were flailing your arms and legs and then scrunching up and finally you shouted. It's a wonder only I woke up.'

'I said forget it!' Harry said again, swinging his legs out of bed and pulling himself up on one of the posts,

'It was just a nightmare alright. Now go to bed, I'll see you in the morning.'

Harry padded across the dormitory, checking to make sure he had not woken the others before slipping into the washroom and closing the door behind him.

Candles high above him flickered on as soon as he entered the room, and cast an eerie yellow glow onto his surroundings. He stepped up to the gold sink and turned the cold water on, splashing several handfuls onto his face and looking up to see his reflection in the mirror.

He saw his tired sixteen-year-old face with a bright red lightning bolt scar on his forehead stare back at him, but there was one thing slightly different from usual. Tiny flecks of dark green were disappearing into the emerald that usually stood in it's place, as though being sucked back.

Why had his eyes been dark green? He hadn't willed the change through Metamorphmagi, so what could have done it? Harry decided that this was the least of his problems and that it could be sorted out later.

Voldemort had someone after him as usual, but now he was after Cornelius Fudge and Dumbledore, the one person he had once feared. Harry had to tell Dumbledore about the dream as soon as possible, but how could he explain without letting on that he hadn't been practicing Occlumency. Then there was the tiny detail that he, Harry Potter, had cast the Cruciatus curse, one of the Unforgivables for which he would be thrown directly into Azkaban. He couldn't tell that to the headmaster. No.

Harry took another deep breath and decided that perhaps the dream was simply Voldemort playing with his mind the way he had last year. If he waited a little longer and practiced clearing his mind harder it would all turn out alright. If he had another dream like it, then he would speak to Dumbledore, but not until then.

The next morning Harry was awakened by the bustle of his other roommates opening and closing their trunks and throwing on their school robes to prepare for their first lessons.

He pulled the hangings around his bed open and found that they had all just left, each of their bed's of course still unmade. Harry looked at his bedside bureau and saw that it was already half past eight, leaving him only half an hour to eat breakfast and get to his first class. He jumped out of bed and threw on his robes as quickly as he could before running toward the door and down to the common room.

It was empty.

Everyone else had already left for breakfast and left him behind. Why hadn't Ron woken him and waited?

He pushed open the portrait covering the exit to the common room and hurried through onto the third floor landing, waving good-morning to the fat lady as he rushed down toward the second floor.

'Hurry or you'll be late,' she warned him. Harry ran down the corridors not noticing anything around him as he ran and almost ran right through the fat friar at the top of the entrance hall staircase.

'Watch where you're running,' he warned.

'Sorry 'bout that.'

Harry tried to catch his breath as he strolled through the huge doors into the silent Great Hall and watched as all of the students heads turned to stare at him.

'Nice of you to join us Potter,' professor McGonagall called from where she was standing at her place at the staff table. 'Now, as I was saying, you will all be handed your new timetable by the prefects in your house. Be sure not to be late for your first lessons, as the challenge for the House Cup has begun.'

She sat back down and started to speak with professor Black, who today Harry saw, was wearing very expensive looking robes in peacock blue, reminding him very much of professor Lockhart.

Harry rushed over to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Ron, trying his best not to notice the strange looks he was still getting from the other house tables.

'Why didn't you wake me?' he said angrily to Ron, who was busy stuffing a forkful of sausages into his mouth.

'I didn't think you'd want me to, mate. I had to get up at a quarter past six to be on time for the prefects meeting,' he told him, glaring pointedly at Hermione who sat across from the boys scanning a sheet of parchment that Harry assumed was her timetable. 'Besides I told Dean and Seamus to make enough noise when they left to wake you.'

'Real thoughtful Ron, thanks,' Harry said rolling his eyes at the red-head as he continued to stuff his mouth full of whatever he could reach in front of him. 'Anything good this year Hermione?' he asked her as he started to fill a bowl with oatmeal, and pulled her attention away.

'Well, it's alright. I mean it will be difficult but I have several more courses than you.'

A hand then reached next to Harry face and deposited a roll of parchment onto his lap. 'There you go Harry,' Ginny said to him as she moved on to give Ron his and then continued down the table.

Unrolling the new schedule, Harry sighed at seeing his new course load. Hermione wasn't kidding; it was going to be a difficult term.

This morning he had Charms, followed by double Transfiguration. After lunch he would suffer Potions with Snape and then on Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts. This would be his schedule every Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays he would start his morning with Herbology, followed by double Potions, once again with the Slytherins he figured, and then lunch. He would continue on with Defense and finally, what was this, Muggle Studies.

'Since when do I take Muggle Studies?' Harry said aloud, 'I was one until I was eleven. I think I've got it down by now.'

'I've got it too mate,' Ron said pointing to his timetable.

'We've all got it,' Hermione said coolly, 'It's a new sixth year requirement. Dumbledore wants everyone to know a little bit about the Muggle world before we leave school.'

'Well at least it'll be an easy pass,' Ron said, 'what with everything my dad's showed me.' Harry and Hermione exchanged furtive looks and tried their best to not say anything.

'Well Fridays look good for you Harry,' she said, picking up his schedule and looking it over next to her own, 'Double Transfiguration, double Defense and Charms. You're good at all of those.'

'Yeah. We'll see,' Harry said.

'I've got all the same classes as you Harry,' Hermione added, 'plus Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, History of Magic, and Astronomy.'

'What do you need all of that for?' Ron asked her, snatching her schedule out her hand. 'Triple Potions, are you insane? What do you need three times the Snape for?'

'You never know,' Hermione said casually, 'I haven't decided what I want to do yet.'

'Well, either way, I don't have to see Snape anymore. I have all of my other lessons with you though Harry, except for double Care of Magical Creatures.'

'Sounds like we'll be busy though,' Harry said finishing the last spoonful of oatmeal in his bowl, and looking up as a loud screeching came from the ceiling. Post owls came swooping in through an open window at the top of the Great Hall and started to drop parcels and letters onto the laps of the students to whom they were sent.

Hermione caught her copy of the Daily Prophet and placed a sickle in the leather pouch bound to the post owl's leg before unrolling it and starting to read. She laid the paper down quickly for everyone to read an article on the second page titled Break-in at the Ministry.

_This morning when the security guards entered the fourth station office in the records department, they were baffled to find that the door had been opened and the files room in disarray. While it has been ascertained that only one file was missing, this reporter was not able to determine which one. It appears that the intruder knew exactly what it was that they wanted but was unable to find its location, tearing apart the entire filing system in their mission to find it. No one was injured during the incident and the department of magical information sharing promises to keep us updated._

_Newly returned reporter for the daily prophet, Rita Skeeter._

'What are you going to do Hermione?' Ron said to her at seeing who had written the article.

'What do you mean?' she asked simply.

'About Skeeter. She's not supposed to be writing, she promised. Are you going to tell the Ministry that she's an illegal animagus?'

'I'm afraid I can't Ron. Our deal was up in June. She promised not to write for one year and she stuck to it. I''l have to do the same. For now,' she added with a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. She flipped through the other pages of the Prophet quickly and huffed loudly when she reached the back.

'What's the problem?' Harry asked realising that she would continue to huff loudly until someone did.

'The problem is that it has been two months since Fudge saw Voldemort-' several students around her cringed when they heard her, '-at the Ministry of Magic and still there has been no announcement or public warning to the magical world since the initial announcement. Granted it was a severe warning, there has been no news since then. How can they protect themselves if they don't know what's out there? It's as though Fudge hopes they'll all forget what they told them two months ago.'

Harry sighed. He had managed for two months not to speak of Voldemort to anyone, but Hermione was right. Ignoring this problem would not solve it.

'What are we supposed to do about it?' he asked. 'I mean the Order are trying their best to find out what he's planning but he seems to have dropped off the maps again, no movement at all.'

'That could mean he's planning something big Harry, and everyone will be defenseless because they don't know,' she said angrily, throwing the paper down and stalking up to the staff table.

Everyone watched as she walked up to professors McGonagall and Dumbledore and started to talk to them quietly. Seconds later McGonagall stood up, thin-lipped and white-faced, and pulled her into the anti-chamber behind the staff table. All of the other tables were now talking openly of Hermione's strange behaviour and of what it was she might be speaking to McGonagall about.

'That would be Hermione,' Harry said across Neville, where Marc was sitting, staring at her like she had two heads.

'She does this sort of thing all the time,' Ron added, not taking his eyes off of his food.

'Yeah, she introduced herself to me this morning when we first walked in. Seems like an interesting girl.'

Dumbledore then stood up and everyone waited silently to hear what the problem was. 'If anyone else has a scheduling error please feel free to speak with your Head of House at the end of your lessons.' He sat back down, and Harry could hear all of the tables now expressing their disappointment that it was not something more important.

The first warning bell rang and a loud buzz and clatter rose as the students gathered their things for the first lesson of the day and the Great Hall started to clear out.

Harry and Ron started to make their way out of the hall, assuming that Hermione would meet them there when she was done attacking professor McGonagall. They had reached the second floor landing before Neville strolled up beside them and thanked them for waiting, sarcastically.

'Sorry Nev, I didn't realize you were taking Advanced Charms this year,' Ron said to him, trying his best not to imply that he couldn't do it.

'Yeah, well I only scored an acceptable on my O.W.L. but I spoke with professor Flitwick last night and he said that if I made an effort to do better, he would be more than happy to allow me into his class.'

'That's great,' Harry said to him as they snuck in behind the giant mirror on the second floor, to cut off about five minutes and try to be on time.

Upon entering the Charms classroom, Harry was surprised to see Parvati Patil and her twin sister Padma sitting next to one another in front of Ernie Macmillan. Looking to the back he understood why there was a Gryffindor sitting next to a Ravenclaw in front of Hufflepuff, when he noticed Malfoy sitting next to Pansy Parkinson. All four of the houses were here.

Harry took a seat next to Ron and Neville, and Hermione came rushing in the room to sit in front of him as the second bell rang signalling the start of lesson.

'As you might have noticed,' professor Flitwick's high voice squeaked from his place atop a pile of textbooks on his desk, 'we have all four houses together for this lesson. As it is your sixth year and there are fewer of you moving forward in Charms, it only seemed appropriate. Now today we will be reviewing our O.W.L. charms before going over our first term schedule.'

Harry partnered with Hermione, and Ron with Neville, while they practiced their old summoning and banishing charms. Halfway through the lesson a large pillow whipped across the room and smacked Neville square in the face so hard that he was knocked backward onto the floor. Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were laughing hysterically from their spot at the back of the room, having obviously sent the projectile to its target.

'Maybe next time you won't forget to look at what you're doing, you idiot!' Malfoy called at him. Professor Flitwick did not notice the disturbance as he was busy helping Ernie pick up a pile of books that Hannah abbot had just knocked to the floor by reducing their shelves to matchsticks.

Ron and Harry both pointed their wands at Malfoy but before they could hex him, Neville was back on his feet with two small pillows in his hands. He quickly banished them toward the Slytherins and cried 'Engorgio' so that the pillows grew to ten times their regular size as they sailed across the room, knocking both Malfoy and Pansy off their feet. The whole classroom roared with laughter as they pointed at the pair struggling to get up from underneath the enormous pillows.

'Sorry Malfoy, but you're the one running into pillows the size of mattresses,' Neville said with a iciness none of the Gryffindors had ever heard him use before turning back to a shocked Ron and resuming his practice.

By the end of the lesson, Harry felt as though he had wasted the last hour on things that he knew he could do perfectly. The bell sounded and the entire classroom replaced their practice equipment before collecting their bags and heading for their next class.

The four Gryffindor friends walked down the third floor corridor, passing the humpbacked witch and laughing about what had happened in their first Charms lesson.

'That was amazing Charms work Neville,' Hermione told him, beaming at the usually fumbling boy who could no sooner fly to the moon than cast a double charm.

'It was nothing,' Neville said blushing and shrugging his shoulders, 'Besides, he just really deserved it!'

The four of them walked into the transfiguration classroom on the second floor and saw that once again they would be sharing their lesson with the other three houses. It seemed that of the four houses, only Gryffindor would be having every one of it's sixth years in Advanced Transfiguration, something that definitely did not go unnoticed by their Head of House.

Like professor Flitwick, McGonagall spent the first half of the double period going over the previous years techniques and then lecturing the group on the importance of their upcoming N.E.W.T's. Ron groaned, mumbling that they weren't for almost two years and that only Hermione really cared.

'That will be five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, and I suggest that you sit up straight and pay attention as we will be practicing these spells in a moment.' Ron's ears turned pink as McGonagall continued and the rest of the sixth years turned their heads to either stare or smirk at him.

The practice turned out to be a very good idea, as when it came to turning their goblets into animals once again, only three students other than Hermione managed to perfect it and raise their hands when had completed it successfully.

'Very good Ms. Granger,' she said over her spectacles at the furry white rat scurrying on the desktop, 'Five points to Gryffindor. You too Mr. Potter. Do catch that turtle before it falls off the desk. Ah very nice Mr. McMillan, five points to Hufflepuff. Now before you leave I will ask you to read pages- what is it Mr. Longbottom?'

Neville still had his hand stretched into the air, 'Professor, you haven't checked mine'

'Very well, but I told the class only the completed one's should raise their hands to-' she stopped speaking at seeing the large striped tiger sitting to Neville's right purring loudly as he stroked it's head.

For a moment she said nothing but just stared at the large orange and black feline in wonder. 'Exceptional Mr. Longbottom,' she said recovering, and returning top her normal tone, 'ten points to Gryffindor.'

Harry had never seen Neville look more proud or embarrassed since he met him. She gave them all a ten inch essay to be written on the importance of Transfiguration in the present to be handed in the following Monday, and then the end of lesson bell rang and Harry heard the scrapes of chairs above them as all the other classrooms were let out for lunch as well.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville all walked down the hallway talking about what new things they would be learning in that class, mainly about Metamorphmagi, when they ran into Ginny and Marc, who were just coming in the doors from their first Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

'Creepy, those Thestrals,' she said as she approached them. Marc smiled at them and followed as they entered the Great Hall for lunch.

'I really like professor Weasley,' Marc started, 'He knows alot about magical creatures and seems to enjoy teaching about them too. He told us that he works with dragons in Romania, is that true?' he said looking at Ron.

'Yeah, for years now. Absolutely loves it! I can't wait for his class later, it should be great,' he said, reaching across the table for some scalloped potatoes and a heap of macaroni.

'How do you like Hogwarts lessons Marc?' Hermione asked looking at the boy and smiling encouragingly.

'They're alright so far. I've only had Care of Magical Creatures and History of Magic, and I can tell you which I prefer.'

Harry and Ron rolled their eyes and grumbled loudly at the thought of professor Binns' droning about any and every boring fact in magical history.

'Well,' Ron said as they were finishing up their lunch and starting to collect their bags once more, 'Have fun with Snape you two, I'm off to double lessons with Charlie. See you there in an hour.'

Hermione got up and led the way toward the dungeon stairway while Harry followed and watched as Ron headed outside and Neville, Ginny and Mark walked upstairs.

The temperature in the hallway dropped instantly and drastically as the pair walked down the cold stone steps and into the torch lit corridor beneath the entrance hall. The hangings and portraits adorning the walls were all somber and depressing as they passed them, until of course they reached one that showed the exact opposite characteristics.

'Hold it, scallywags. You will not intrude on my corridor.' The loud noise of clanking metal and clicking hooves approached as the image of Sir Cadogan galloped from frame to frame to keep up with Harry and Hermione, brandishing a sword all the while. The inhabitants of all the other portraits either scowled and made rude gestures at him, or continued to sleep on peacefully as the over-zealous knight rampaged through the dark hall.

'Give it a rest,' Hermione called to him as they continued down the corridor to their Potions classroom, his loud mumblings growing fainter as they walked on.

Upon entering their dreaded classroom, Harry was surprised to find that although all four houses were once again together, there were only thirteen students including he and Hermione. They took a seat next to Parvati, Lavender and Dean, waving over at Ernie and Hannah, who unfortunately got stuck with the seats in front of Malfoy and Pansy, luckily the only two Slytherins. Four Ravenclaw girls sat behind Dean and Lavender, leaving Parvati without a partner.

Harry, realizing that Snape would most certainly do everything in his power to punish him and ensure that he received zero marks for the day, instructed Hermione to partner up with her for her own good.

Hermione argued but finally conceded and sat down next to a very grateful Parvati, just as the office door at the front of the room burst open and Snape came whipping out, his black robes whirling around him as he did.

His eyes scanned the room quickly and Harry noticed a registered look of surprise for a moment before they turned back to their regular dark glare and fell upon him.

'As I told you all last year, I only accept the few students that receive Outstandings on their O.W.L.'s resulting in a much more pruned and streamlined classroom. The few of you that managed to get here on merit,' he glared pointedly in Harry's direction before continuing, 'will have a very difficult first term and even harder second term. Those of us who are here for other reasons will find that even one assignment below the grade of Exceeds Expectations will have you out of this classroom forever.'

He glared at Harry once more.

'Now, unlike some of your other lessons, we do not have the time to waste on reviewing last year's curriculum. If you are not able to keep up with what you have already learned, I do not see how you will be able to function in this class.'

The Ravenclaw girls at the back of the room looked extremely downhearted as they listened to Snape's opening speech and one of them looked on the verge of tears.

'Today we will be brewing a strengthening potion. It was commonly used hundreds of years ago by warriors before going into battle against trolls and other such creatures. Today it is bottled and used widely for growth effects in plants and animals, as well as in healing. It is an extremely complicated procedure that involves impeccable timing. It is made easier by brewing with a partner and ensuring that one can be stirring while the other prepares and adds the right ingredients.'

He smiled at Harry, who of course did not have a partner. 'For anyone without a partner, I suggest you work quickly.'

Malfoy and Pansy snickered loudly at the back of the room, and Hermione gave Harry a sympathetic look.

A knock at the door had the entire room turn their heads to see who could be interrupting one of Snape's lessons.

'Come in,' Snape hissed from his place in front of the blackboard, narrowing his eyes at the doorway. The door creaked open and Neville walked in with his bag over one shoulder and a cauldron on his arms.

'Sorry to interrupt professor,' he said to the greasy-haired man, 'but-'

'Who is it that you need to take from my class Longbottom?' Snape cut him off coldly, speeding up the interruption in his routine.

'Actually sir, I've come to join the class,' Neville said coolly.

'You can't be serious Longbottom,' Snape said laughing openly at the suggestion, 'Your Acceptable O.W.L. forbids you from entering.'

'Yes sir, but this note from the Headmaster overrides that,' Neville said quietly, trying not to make eye contact and reaching his hand into his robes to produce a piece of parchment.

The snide look on Snape's face vanished as he stormed toward Neville and ripped the note from his hand scathingly. The entire class watched as line-by-line, Snape's face hardened and his eyes grew darker, until finally he set the note down on his desk and looked at the blackboard.

'The instructions are on the blackboard, you have one hour.'

Neville walked to the front of the room and took the empty seat next to Harry, who smiled at him and shook his head.

'Why do you want this class? I thought you were thrilled to be rid of Snape. Besides, anything less than Exceeds Expectations and we're both out.'

'Don't worry, we'll manage. And I need this course if I want to become an Auror.' Harry's eyes widened as he stared at the boy next to him, starting to count out frog's eyes and Screwt ears for chopping. He never thought that Neville would be an Auror. He was the last person he would choose to chase dark wizards.

Harry turned his attention to the blackboard and started to read the instructions to the very complicated brew. Halfway down he noticed something that made him smile. Snape had made a mistake. He flipped through his textbook to make sure before raising his hand and waiting for Snape to call on him.

'What is it Potter? Manage to destroy your potion already? That will be an instant zero for the day-'

'Actually sir, I just wanted to point out to you that there is an error in your instructions.'

The whole class stopped what they were doing to stare at Harry who had just told professor Snape that he was wrong about something. Snape stared at him for a moment before standing and walking over to his and Neville's station.

'You think you can find an error in my brew when you can barely cut ingredients properly. I don't think so.

'I just thought that when frog's eyes were mixed with beetle wings the effect would create a weakening draft. It takes scarab wings for the strength potion to be effective. A small detail, but important nonetheless.'

Snape's lips tightened with rage as he read the board and realised that Harry was correct. He flicked his wand to erect the mistake and turned on Harry once more.

'That will be five points from Gryffindor for the interruption and five more for your arrogance.'

'That's fine, but now that you've changed the potion may I excuse myself from the lesson, because when the rest of the class add the ringworms to the Griffin blood and the whole room explodes, I'd rather not be here.'

Snape whirled toward the blackboard and in an instant flicked his wand crying 'Evanesco', instantly clearing all of the cauldrons of their ingredients and preventing the said explosion. He stood, shaking with rage, as the whole class sat in silence watching the interaction between teacher and student, hoping he wouldn't take it out on the entire class.

'You will all write a three foot essay on the brewing and effects of the strengthening potion to be handed in on Wednesday. Class is dismissed, but Potter stay where you are.'

The class gathered their things quickly and left the room faster than Harry had ever seen. Hermione looked back over her shoulder and mouthed 'We'll wait outside' before disappearing through the doorway behind Neville.

Harry and Snape sat in silence for the next few moments before Harry decided to speak.

'Will I be serving detention with you or Filch, then?'

'You will not be serving detention, but I will have my eye on you. I am not sure how you spotted the error that you did, but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. And remember Potter, one grade below my standards and you're gone. Now get out of my sight.'

Snape turned around and walked back to his office, slamming the door shut behind him as he went and not bothering to see Harry out.

The instant Harry walked out of the Potions classroom, Hermione and Neville came rushing over to him wanting to hear what had happened. He explained to them that Snape did not punish him as he had expected, but rather gave a cryptic warning and didn't even take any more points.

The walk to Hagrid's hut was calming for Harry, as it took them about ten minutes to cross the castle before walking down the long stone steps and then Hogwarts grounds. The sun was out and was shining sporadically from behind wispy white clouds that were there one minute and gone the next. Harry could see Ron sitting on the ground next to Seamus, who had also just completed the first hour of their double Care class. Next to them were Parvati and Lavender. Seeing them trudging down the lawn toward them, Ron called to Harry, Hermione and Neville to sit with them.

'Hagrid'll be happy this year,' Hermione said looking around the crowd of students in the much larger class than most.

Harry scanned quickly and realised what she had meant. While more people had taken this course, as it was quite simple and guaranteed a pass, only one sixth year Slytherin had decide to enroll.

Hermione continued to glare and Millicent Bullstrode through narrowed eyes, as Charlie Weasley walked toward the group and started the lesson.

'I think that should be long enough of a break. Everyone seems to be here. I'm professor Weasley, but I would really prefer it if you would all please call me Charlie.'

Everyone smiled at each other, realising that this was going to be a fun course, considering the professor went by his first name.

'For those of you just joining us for the second hour of the course, we will be learning about Kremlers.

Hermione's eyes widened, and Parvati and Lavender squealed their excitement as Charlie walked back to the edge of forest and up to one of the trees. He reached his arms up to one of the lowest branches and pulled down a tiny creature with giant eyes.

As he walked back to the group of gathered students, he put the animal down on the grass and they could all see the kitten-like creature. It had a completely fur-covered body with a wet pink nose and giant pleading brown eyes. Lavender reached out a hand to pet the creature as it waddled toward her, but Charlie stopped her, telling the class that you must always let the Kremler make the first move.

One by one, the Kremler inspected each student, walking up to the edge of their robes and sniffing or rubbing on one of their legs. Its tail, like no other kitten Harry had ever seen, was about two feet long and hairless.

'The Kremler is a very rare creature, mainly found living in dense woods and dark forests where it can occasionally be seen just above the tree tops. It's giant round eyes allows the Kremler to see at night as though it were day, allowing it to hunt for its diet, primarily comprised of but not limited to wood lice. It's long hairless tail is used to maneuver through the forest quickly like a fifth limb, similar to a monkey's.'

As Charlie continued to describe the feline creature before them, Lavender let out a gasp and Parvati took a step back, leaning behind Dean Thomas as the light brown fur on the Kremler's back darkened and stood up on edge. Before anyone could react to this further, two bumps raised behind its front legs and a shiny translucent wing unfolded on either side of its body. Rearing back onto its hind legs, the Kremler leaped into the air and started to soar higher and higher above their heads. The students all stared at the tiny creature in amazement as it circled them above.

'As you have just witnessed, a strip of fur on the Kremler's back darkens moments before it extends its waxy foot long wings and takes off. When in a hurry the change can occur almost instantly, for example if it needs to escape from a predator.'

'Does this one live in the Forbidden forest Charlie?' Ron asked his older brother, as Hermione watched the Kremler's progress in the air.

'Actually yes. There are about five of them living together deep in the forest, but this is the only one that ventures out to see me. It was dumb luck actually that I was able to tame her. Kremler's aren't generally shown in this class as they are far too difficult to catch, and we would have had to draw pictures and read about them instead.'

A loud scream had the entire class, who had now been facing their teacher, look over at Lavender Brown on whose shoulder the Kremler had decided to land. She stood stalk still and as far as Harry could tell, was not even breathing.

'It's alright Lavender,' Charlie said, 'She seems to like you. Just don't make any sudden movements and you'll be fine.'

Lavender, too afraid to listen properly, started to shake her shoulders frantically, trying to knock the Kremler off, but instead of falling the Kremler extended its sharp claws and dug them in for grip. Lavender let out an ear-piercing wail as the class watched blood start to soak the surface of her robes.

Now growing irritated with the commotion, the Kremler's furry cat ears pointed backward and it bared its tiny sharp teeth, letting out a low warning growl. Charlie started to walk over to her quickly, in hopes of removing the agitated creature, but before he could Neville stepped up and reached a hand under the creatures chin.

The entire class watched in subdued awe as Neville stroked the Kremler's throat and its ears returned to normal before it retracted it's claws and allowed him to pull it into his arms where it sat peacefully purring.

'Excellent work Neville,' Charlie said patting him on the back, 'Someone's read their book. Ten points to Gryffindor.'

He turned to inspect the wounds on Lavenders shoulder, telling her that it would be alright and that the Kremler had only been spooked. He sent her up to the hospital wing with Parvati so that Madam Pomfrey could mend the scratches.

The rest of their lesson went well, without any further attacks or injuries as they one by one took turns feeding the Kremler a handful of wood lice. Harry hated to admit it, and he never would aloud, that this was now their second substitute Care of Magical Creatures professor that turned out to be better than Hagrid.

While the others were busy taking their turns with the new creature, Hermione and Neville told Ron about what had happened in their first Potion's lesson.

'The one time something great happens in that bloody class, and I'm not even in it,' he said, disappointed that he had not seen the look on Snape's face when Harry proved him wrong twice.

The lesson ended and they all started to walk up the grounds toward the castle for their fifth and final lesson of the day, Defense against the Dark Arts.

Harry could hear Dean and Seamus talking about Professor Black and wondering whether she would be like Umbridge and teach them from textbooks, or perhaps like the fake Moody who had put them all under the Imperius curse. Either way, everyone was anxious to see what the new staff member would be like.

Walking down the third floor corridor between Hermione and Ron, Harry heard a cackling behind them and as a suit of armor crashed down inches away from Dean's right leg, he saw his first glimpse of Peeves the Poltergeist whipping overhead and laughing madly as he threw ink bottles at the hurrying students.

The Gryffindor students reached the doorway to the Defense classroom in no time at all, as they were running from Peeves, and piled in quickly, slamming the door shut behind them.

Having been in this classroom for the past five years, all of them received a shock to see it looking so different. The room had evidently been expanded, as there was now double the amount of tables and chairs creating the appearance of a small auditorium. They understood immediately why as the warning bell rang and other students started to trickle into the room.

Harry sat in the second row next to Ron and behind Hermione, who naturally took the front center seat. Neville sat in the seat to Harry's left and shared a table with Lavender, while Parvati sat with Dean, and Seamus next to Hermione. All four houses were once again in this class but it appeared that every single sixth year student had enrolled, whether because they wanted to learn or because they wanted to see what the new professor would do, Harry was unsure. Even Crabbe and Goyle had managed to pass their Defense O.W.L.'s.

The students separated themselves and sat with their houses, much in the same way they did in the Great hall. The Slytherins sat in the back next to the Ravenclaws while the Gryffindors were up front with the Hufflepuffs.

The students spoke to others from their own houses for another several minutes before a door at the top of the staircase in the front of the room opened, and Professor Black stepped out onto the landing, her icy blue eyes sweeping over her new classroom.

Everyone sat quietly as she continued to survey them, her eyes jumping from student to student as though evaluating each one's potential. Finally the critical stare ended and she began to descend the staircase her brilliant crimson robes sweeping behind her as she went.

When she arrived at her desk she reached into her robes and produced a long white wand with what looked like silver string wound around it. She flicked it at the blackboard and the class watched as the words Professor Black wrote themselves across it in curling blue writing.

'Good afternoon, I am Professor Black. I will be your new professor for the remainder of the year and I do hope it will be a good one. Provided you follow the rules and pay attention during my lessons we will have little problems. Now we will start at the back of the room and I want all of you to stand in turn and tell me your name, your house and what it is you most fear. That way we can work together and hopefully by the end of the year, your fear will be no more. You there, in the back, get us started.

Padma Patil stood up nervously and pulled her robes straight before introducing herself. 'I'm Padma Patil ma'am, sixth year Ravenclaw Prefect and I am terrified of Banshees.'

'Very well, you next.' The sandy-haired boy in front of Padma stood and introduced himself, 'I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley, sixth year Hufflepuff, and I'm afraid of dark wizards.'

Professor Black nodded and the next five people went, until they reached Hermione. She stood up proudly and just like Padma, Hannah and Ernie announced her name, year, Prefect status and then her fear.

'I am most afraid of failing professor.'

Malfoy and his group of Slytherins snickered from the corner and Hermione flushed bright red. Professor Black flicked her wand in their direction and every one of the Slytherins found their voices gone.

'Very good. We will work on that Ms. Granger,' she told her, ignoring the Slytherins flailing their arms in the back and grasping at their throats as they tried to create the tiniest of sounds and failed.

Dean started to stand next but sat back down when Hermione continued to speak. 'Excuse me professor, but I am curious as to how you possess the last name Black.'

Professor Black's polite tone vanished immediately as her features hardened and she stared at Hermione coldly. 'That Ms. Granger is none of your concern and quite frankly, much too forward for a pupil to ask of a professor. Your rudeness will cost Gryffindor ten points and I ask that you not interrupt my class again with such meaningless nonsense.'

She flicked her wand and returned the Slytherins voices to them before turning her attention back to Dean so that he might continue. He told her of his fear of water, Ron of his fear of spiders and Parvati of her fear of snakes.

Things seemed to be progressing smoothly, and the blond professor seemed to have forgotten the rude interruption as she once again had a smile on her face as she listened. Finally it was Harry's turn and he started to stand, only to be told to sit down.

'There's no need to introduce yourself Mr. Potter. I am well aware of who you are and I'm sure everyone in this room knows who you most fear.'

'Actually professor, I don't think they do,' Harry said in retaliation, feeling insulted by the professor's assumption.

'Are you trying to tell me Mr. Potter, that I am wrong in assuming that the thing you most fear in life is Lord Voldemort?' she said with a now sarcastic tone as she raised an eyebrow at him. Most of the class had gasped or yelped quietly at the mention of Voldemort.

'That is exactly what I am telling you,' he said firmly, now standing and glaring back at her.

'Well, Severus told me that you were arrogant, but to say that you do not fear the Dark Lord is more than I expected. Another five points from Gryffindor for your lying Mr. Potter, now please be seated so that we can continue.'

Harry was once again filled with rage and he dipped his hand into his pocket for his wand. Next to him he saw Neville shaking his head and mouth the word 'No'. Letting go of his wand, Harry did not sit back down, but continued to speak.

'I'm not lying. Voldemort is not the thing I fear most,' he said through gritted teeth, trying his best to control his temper. And I am also curious as to how you could possibly be a Black. I was told that when my Godfather Sirius Black was murdered in front of me this summer, he was the last of them.'

Almost all of the students, Slytherins included, listened carefully to what Harry said, most of them unaware that Sirius Black had been his Godfather, and shocked that Harry had seen another murder take place. Parvati and Lavender held their hands over their mouths, feeling bad for Harry. All of the students also seemed quite keen on learning the answer to the question that had now been asked twice.

The professor narrowed her eyes at him now, and started to speak in a very clear and thoughtout way, conveying her anger.

'Whether you are a liar or not is not up for debate as it has been made clear to me that you did in fact tell terrible lies to the whole class last year. I believe there is a scar reminiscent of your detentions with my predecessor,' she said, and smiled as Harry tucked his hand into his robes so that no one could see the faint scar spelling 'I will not tell lies'. 'As you all seem to be interested in my relation to the infamous murderer Sirius Black-'

'HE WAS NOT A MURDERER!' Harry screamed at the short blond woman, but was suddenly pulled into his seat by Neville and Ron.

'Good idea, Mister Weasley,' she said to the Ron, the one of the two who had already introduced himself, 'And as I told Ms. Granger, none of you have any business bringing up my late brother in law. Now if you would all kindly finish the simple task that I set for you, without interruption, we will continue with today's lesson.'

Professor Black allowed the students to finish introducing themselves before having them take out their textbooks and reading about the curses they would learn to defend against first term. The rest of the lesson went smoothly, without pause or a single question from any of the students, who were now unaware of what would be considered inappropriate.

Harry had managed not to get himself a detention for his outburst, but instead he was given an essay on the four curses considered unforgivable by the French Ministry of Magic. The essay was to be handed in the next day and Professor Black had summoned him a large black leather-bound volume from her office titled 'What They're Called Where You Live: 59 Countries' Unforgivables'.


	9. Snapes and Shadows

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Thanks to all those of you who have reviewed so far and to those who have reviewed the last chapter so far: **Nightwing 509, BreAkINgdARuLEs, Insanity-of-the-owl, SlytherinFan15, Lupin4president, Ice-Phoenix-Tears, gaul1, Libby Bird**. If I missed anyone I apologise and I'm sure I'll get you next time around : D.

To answer the couple of questions I've received:

**SlytherinFan15**: Yes, you're right about professor Black's identity and it's further clarified in this chapter : D

**Christa Potter**: Wow! Thank you so much. I'm glad you liked the sorting hat song as it's been my favorite part to write so far.

**Rheniel**: I'm glad you're liking it thus far, and I'm afraid the Time travel does not happen until chapter 15. I'll try to get you to that point soon. I just don't want to post all I have too quickly or you'll have nothing left to read, lol. Just kidding : D

**Britni Puccio**: Thanks for telling me you liked the sorting song. It was a pleasure tyo write so it's nice to hear that you liked reading it : D

**ladeportista4**: I can't explain just yet what happened with Harry at the Dursleys when Vernon discussed Sirius, but their dranmatic makeovers involved some magic on Harry's part for sure.

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Chapter 9: Snapes and Shadows

'She's just like Snape,' Ron said once the lesson was over, and he, Harry and Hermione were halfway up to the Gryffindor common room.

'How can she be so narrow-minded,' Hermione said, also agreeing with what Ron was saying, 'She's based her opinions of us on what Snape told her. That means she already hates all the Gryffindor's.'

Harry walked up the third floor staircase between Ron and Hermione, lugging the enormous black volume he was given to write his essay. Unlike Ron and Hermione, he was not worried about the injustice of their new professor's attitude, as he was still thinking about her relation to Sirius.

She had called him her brother-in-law, something Hermione must have missed, otherwise she would have immediately realised that made their Defense professor the widow of Sirius' only brother Regulus Black, the Death Eater.

He continued to think about how she could have managed not to be one as well until his thoughts were interrupted by Hermione, offering to help him write his Defense essay so that he might finish it quickly and find time to sleep that night.

'Thanks Hermione, but with this text I think I'll be alright. I'm going to head to the library right now actually, as soon as I grab some supplies from my dormitory.'

Ron gave the password to the fat lady and they all clambered through the porthole once the portrait swung open. Ginny was sitting in front of the fireplace with an Herbology textbook on her lap as she quietly read about subtle differences in poisonous plants. She looked up as they walked in and closed her book with a yawn.

'Good lessons?'

'Don't get me started,' Ron said sitting in one of the armchairs next to his sister, and watching as Harry walked up the dormitory stairs.

Hermione sat down at the table beneath the window and removed her Potions and Transfiguration texts and a roll of parchment, keen to finish her homework assignments before dinner.

'Some things never change,' Ron muttered as he leaned back in his chair across from Ginny, who had now reopened her text and started reading again.

Harry walked into the sixth-year boys' room and was surprised to see Marc laying on his bed with a Quidditch Weekly magazine laying open next to his History of Magic text.

'Sorry,' Harry said, walking over to the foot of his bed to grab some ink and parchment, 'Just grabbing some supplies.'

'Are you going somewhere?' Marc asked, closing his magazine and sitting up.

'Just to the library. Professor Black's set me an essay due for tomorrow, and I have to get started or I'll never get through it.'

'Are Ron and Hermione going too?'

'No, only I'm the only one with the essay. I lost my temper with her, because she was being unfair to the Gryffindors, so it's my punishment. Be careful what you do in her class, because it looks like she's just as bad as Snape.'

'Oh,' Marc said, nodding his understanding before collecting his book and grabbing a bottle of ink and a quill from his bureau, 'Well, I'll come with you then. I have to finish my essay for professor Binns on the Giant Wars and I can probably help you with your essay too. Going to Durmstrang did have its advantages. There aren't many people as advanced in defending against the Dark Arts as me.'

Harry nodded his approval and led the way back downstairs, deciding not to tell Marc about his Defense record.

They slipped out of the common room quietly, not wanting to get stopped by anyone, and Harry showed Marc one of the secret passages behind a hanging of a badger at the end of the second floor corridor. The pair walked through the narrow passageway, sloping downward as they went, until they came out behind an identical hanging across from the library doors.

Marc followed Harry into the library and they sat down at a table as far away from Madam Pince's view as possible.

Harry opened the borrowed dusty volume and checked the index for any clue about the French Ministry's Unforgivables. Sure enough, halfway down the page he found what he was looking for: France and Belgium's Unforgivables: Les Impardonnables.

Flipping to the right page, Harry started to read about the three curses he already knew to be unforgivable in Britain, but then learned about a fourth one considered to be almost as bad as the killing curse that received equal punishment.

_The Morsus Adficio curse causes a witch or wizard at the receiving end to feel pain equal to that of the cruciatus curse if the victim is lucky enough to only be under the curse for moments. If under the spell for too long, permanent damage is imminent and the witch or wizard's magic is slowly drained, leaving them as powerless as a Muggle forever._

Harry couldn't believe it! Why was this curse not made unforgivable in Britain, and how had he never heard of it before? As he continued to read and started transcribing things onto his essay using his new Quick Quotes Quill, he learned that the curse was very uncommon, and that it had only ever been cast twice before by French wizards.

'Nasty business that Adficio curse,' Marc said, having heard Harry dictate the contents of his essay to his quill.

'I don't know what I'd do without my magic,' Harry whispered, noticing Madam Pince leaning over her desk and craning her neck to see the boys.

By half past six both boys were done their assignments so they packed up their things and slowly made their way to the Great Hall, discussing Viktor Krum's latest victory for Bulgaria at the championships the previous week.

Upon entering the Great Hall, they immediately spotted Hermione arguing with Ron at the Gryffindor table. Trudging over to their table, Harry and Marc slipped into their seats next to Ron and Neville and Hermione gave them a quizzical look.

'Where were the two of you?' she asked, huffing loudly at Harry and the new fifth year student, 'Off playing Quidditch I suppose.'

'Actually, we were in the library finishing our homework assignments,' Marc told her, and watched her registered look of shock at hearing his response.

'Well, it turns out you are a very good influence for Harry,' she told Marc, looking over at Ron, whose attention was now consumed in a turkey pie, and rolling her eyes.

The following morning dawned wet and gloomy, the sky overcast with dark grey storm clouds that spit the ground with rain every half-hour or so. Harry hesitantly pulled himself out of bed, bringing his pillow with him, and walked over to Ron's four-poster, where he carefully covered the snoring redhead's face tightly and watched him struggle for a moment before collapsing in laughter.

'What are you trying to do, kill me?' Ron shouted, out of breath from where he sat in his bed, tangled in his sheets and duvet.

'Just thought you needed a wake-up call,' Harry said, still laughing as he started to pull on his school robes.

As the others started to stir, Harry and Ron were already prepared and started to make their way down the spiralling staircase to the common room. Upon entering the gold and crimson room below, both boys were unsurprised to find Hermione and Ginny sitting in the armchairs in front of the fireplace, talking quietly to one another.

'Good morning,' Ron said tiredly, wiping the sleep out of the corners of his eyes and yawning widely as he plopped into the remaining chair next to Hermione.

'A very good morning I'd say,' Hermione said smugly, lifting her chin and grinning at the boys.

'Why's that?' Harry asked suspiciously, watching as Hermione got ready to explain something that she could hardly wait to tell them.

'Do you remember yesterday at breakfast?'

'What, when you stormed up to Dumbledore and McGonagall? I think the whole bloody school remembers that!' Ron said sarcastically.

Ignoring him, Hermione went on, leaning forward in her seat as she did. 'Well, I told McGonagall that if they didn't do something soon that I would have Luna's dad print another interview in his magazine. She didn't seem too keen on the idea, so she said that she would talk to the Headmaster about it. Last night after dinner, she pulled me aside and told me to purchase a copy of the Prophet today. She promised me it would be worth it.'

'You don't think Fudge'll admit that Voldemort's back again, do you?' Harry said skeptically to Hermione, rocking back and forth on his feet with a hand on the back of Ginny's armchair. 'He's already given a nation wide alert and nothing has occurred to prove it.'

'I'm not sure what they'll print, but if McGonagall thinks it's worth it, than it must be. You know her.'

When the other sixth years and Marc had come down from their dormitories ten minutes later, the small group made their way down the corridors to the Great Hall for breakfast. The last bit of their journey ended up in a sprint as they were once again chased by Peeves, who today, was dangerously swinging one of the large battle-axes from a suit of armor on the third floor.

For the next fifteen minutes, Harry, Ginny and even Ron, watched as Hermione continuously craned her neck in all directions in search for a post owl.

'Eat something Hermione. It'll help you pass the time,' Ron suggested, now breaking his fasting period and digging into a large plate of bacon, dropping several pieces on Hermione's plate as he filled his own.

'No thank-you Ron. I can't even think about eating at a time like this. This could make history as the day Voldemort came back.'

Ron cringed and scrunched his face in distaste when she said the Dark Lord's name.

'Oh grow up Ron,' Ginny said, noticing her older brother's reaction.

Just then a loud screech came from overhead, causing the students to all look up at the dozens of owls swooping down to the tables from the rafters high above. The instant an owl landed in front of Hermione, she reached out an arm and pulled fiercely on the copy of the Daily Prophet attached securely to its leg, causing the bird to be dragged across the table with it.

Once Ginny had untied the paper from the disgruntled carrier and given it several pieces of bacon, she turned to Hermione who had already unrolled the pages and was now absorbed in one of the articles. They all sat in silence while Hermione read on and on, before finally Ron spoke.

'Well, is it in there? Does everyone know?'

'See for yourself,' she said, throwing the paper down in front of him and Harry and huffing loudly with a disgusted look on her face.

Picking it up Harry had to scan the whole page before finding the miniscule headline in the middle of the seventh page:

_HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RISES FROM THE DEAD_

_It has been absolutely ascertained that the most feared Dark Wizard of his time, Lord Voldemort, has returned from what everyone thought was the dead._

_'I'm still unsure of how he entered the Ministry of Magic, but rest reassured that everything is under control, and that He-who-must-not-be-named will not pose a threat for much longer,' Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge said._

_After a daring break-in to the Ministry, five Death Eaters from Voldemort's inner circle were captured by Aurors in a very simple raid. Malfoy, Knott, Macnair, Crabbe, and Goyle were all sentenced to life in Azkaban without trial, as they all possessed the Dark Mark on their forearms, indication of their loyalty to the Dark Lord._

_After a brief duel in the atrium, destroying the priceless monuments that have worked as fountains for nearly fifty years, He-who-must-not-be-named managed to escape with his most loyal servant Bellatrix Lestrange._

_'I'm still not sure how he escaped, but I assure you he almost met his end in that entrance hall,' Fudge told the Daily Prophet._

_It's been reported that there were no Auror casualties, but that the infamous murderer Sirius Black was killed during the battle, leaving the position of the Dark Lord's most loyal servant open to his cousin Lestrange._

_At this time there is no need to worry, as there is no imminent danger, and everyone should continue their business as usual._

'You've got to be kidding!' Ron said exasperatedly, 'That's not what happened. They didn't even mention Dumbledore or Harry, and Fudge makes it sound like he dueled with Vold- you know who.'

Harry continued to stare at the Prophet disbelievingly, his jaw clenched, fury running through his veins.

'I can't believe this!' Hermione said finally, 'The way they've said that it's no big deal and that no one should worry. Of course there's imminent danger, Voldemort's back!'

'And how dare they still call Sirius a murderer,' Ginny said, looking up at Harry, who as of yet had still said nothing.

'What do you expect Ginny,' Hermione said to her plainly, 'He was never cleared, so according to the Ministry, he was still a criminal and a fugitive when he died.'

Harry could no longer stay silent. Looking up from the paper he fixed a cold glare on Hermione before starting.

'And now the whole world thinks that he was killed fighting next to his Master, not on our side. You just couldn't leave it alone could you Hermione. You had to go and make them angry, so that they could take it out on Sirius.'

With that he threw the paper back down on the table and got up from the table, throwing one last dirty look at Hermione, who was now looking shocked at his reaction, before storming out of the Hall.

'He can't possibly blame me for this?' she said to Ron and Ginny, who were both looking at her sympathetically

'Just leave it be Hermione, he's angry right now,' Ron told her as he continued to eat quietly.

Harry stormed through the entrance hall and out the large front doors to Hogwarts castle, fuming as he made his way down the front steps. The sun was still hidden behind wispy storm clouds but made feeble attempts at shining down on the grounds. Harry walked the perimeter of the castle until he reached Hagrid's hut and the edge of the forbidden forest, dark and menacing as always. He leaned his back on one of the outermost trees and closed his eyes to clear his mind and think about what had occurred in the Great Hall.

That article had been completely biased and of course placed the Minister in the limelight. What else should he have expected? And now Sirius would forever be remembered as a betraying murderer and not one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had died fighting valiantly against Voldemort.

Slowly his anger ebbed away and a new feeling washed over him: guilt. He was not truly angry with Hermione but the way she spoke so plainly about Sirius' death made it sound like she was siding with the Ministry. Deciding that he would have to appologise to her later, he rested his head on the trunk behind him and didn't open them again until something sharp cut into his shoulder.

'Hey!' Harry shouted, flinging his eyes open in time to see a long tail jump back into the branches above.

Pulling his wand out, he stood up and peered into the dense branches above his head, hoping to catch a glimpse of what had scratched him. He stepped back when he saw the giant brown eyes of the Kremler they had studied the day before appear from the dark cover.

'Hello there,' he said looking at the cat-like creature, and holding his arm out the way he had watched Charlie do it for her to grab hold of.

He watched slowly as the Kremler crept out of the branches and climbed down the trunk toward his outstretched arm.

'You can do it,' he told the fury-winged animal.

Just as the Kremler reached his arm level, it reached out a paw and scratched fiercely at the air hissing, instead of grabbing hold of him. Still holding his arm up in the air, Harry was surprised when Hedwig landed casually where the Kremler would have sat. Now understanding the odd reaction, Harry watched once more as the hairless tail disappeared into the upper branches of the tree before turning his attention to his pet owl.

Hedwig was cooing quietly and Harry saw that she was carrying a small roll of parchment in her talon. Taking it from her, he unrolled the note and smiled as she nipped at his ear before taking off again toward the owlery. Harry looked at the curly green writing in the note and instantly recognised it to be from his Transfiguration professor.

_Harry,_

_You are to meet me at seven o'clock in my office for your first session, bring your wand and your birthday gift._

_Professor McGonagall_

Harry's sour mood instantly vanished as he read the note, realising that tonight he would start his animagus training. Noticing a slow trickle of sixth years from the edge of the castle, Harry started to make his way to greenhouse three for his first Herbology lesson of the year, now hurrying as rain started to spit down on him.

Upon entering the room, he saw members of all four houses stationed around the long tables bearing various odd-shaped and coloured plants, while professor Sprout stood at the head of the center table where she generally taught the lesson.

Spotting Hermione in the middle of the center table, he walked quickly toward her hoping to apologise before the start of lesson, but only to notice that Hermione had filled the spots on either sides of her with Ron, Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender. Clearly she did not want to speak to him right now.

Finding little space with the other Gryffindors, Harry walked up to the front of the table where Neville sat two seats away from professor Sprout, intensely inspecting the violently green petals of the plant in front of him.

'Mind if I sit with you Nev',' Harry asked his fellow Gryffindor.

'Sure Harry,' he said, looking up from the odd specimen and smiling at him, 'looks like we'll be working together all morning, what with Snape's double lesson next.'

Harry grinned at the blond boy before taking his seat and waiting for the lesson to begin, realising that he rather liked working with Neville, especially in Herbology.

'Good morning class,' professor Sprout greeted them all loudly, trying to speak over the constant beating of raindrops on the greenhouse roof, 'Today we will be working in pairs to examine the very exotic plant on the work benches in front of you. Can anyone tell me the name of these plants?'

Hermione raised her hand and was immediately called upon. 'These are Putnich Plants, named after the wizard who found them three hundred years ago,' she said loudly, a broad smile on her face.

'Very informative Ms. Granger, five points to Gryffindor,' Sprout announced, 'Now we will be taking samples- did you have a question Mr. Longbottom?'

'Uh, no professor,' Neville said quietly, 'I just wanted to point out that these plants are in fact Putnich Pods, small outgrowths made from the sap of the Putnich Plants, discovered by Peter Putnich's daughter Penelope Putnich.'

'That's absolutely correct Mr. Longbottom, and much more precise. Fifteen points to Gryffindor.'

Harry smiled as Neville reddened the way he always had when he was embarrassed, and noticed the flush in Hermione's cheeks at finding out that she was only partly correct.

'Now, we will be cutting open the bulbous portion of the bright green pods and gently squeezing them until the pollen sac expels the bright blue powder used in invisibility charms. You are to hold the glass jars around the pods before squeezing them, so not to lose any of the precious pollen. If there are no questions you may begin.'

The instant professor Sprout was done giving directions, the greenhouse filled with the noise level of a small stadium as the students ambled about getting supplies and talking to one another.

Harry saw that Neville was already making a small incision in the side of one of the large green pods hanging off of the thick square stock of their plant. He reached out a hand to hold the plant steady for him only to have Neville knock his hand out of the way quickly.

'I'd put on a pair of gloves if I were you. If you get the pollen on your skin, it'll change between the brilliant blue colour and a vomit green for the next week or so.'

'Ah, thanks Nev,' Harry said, reaching into his bag and pulling out his new pair of dragon hide gloves, and noticing Neville's green ones.

'Are those Welsch Green?' he asked him, pointing at his new-looking gloves.

'Yeah, Gran bought them for me for the new school year. Those are Swedish Short Snout aren't they?'

'Yeah, I got them from Charlie for my birthday,' he answered, before the pair resumed their task.

By the end of their lesson, Harry and Neville had bottled fifteen pods worth of pollen and labelled them before handing them over to a very happy professor Sprout.

'Good job everyone, there will be no assignment today. See you all Thursday.'

The very grateful students began to file out of the overly warm and damp greenhouse, each dropping off labelled jars on their professor's desk as they passed it.

'I knew you were good in Herbology Neville, but fifteen jars! That was brilliant,' Harry said, clapping a hand on the blond boys back enthusiastically, 'The closest amount to that was Justin's eight jars.'

'It was nothing; I just really love Herbology so that makes it simpler for me. Like you and Defense.'

Harry stopped smiling as the thought of their horrid new professor popped into his head. 'I don't think I'll be doing as well this year as I did for the first four.'

'We've had Defense for five now,' Neville reminded him.

'You can't count last year. It was hardly a lesson at all, unless you count reading the most useless information in the world a lesson,' Harry explained to him.

'What, you mean History of Magic?' Neville joked, and the pair laughed all the way down the hall to the entrance hall where they could make their way down to the dungeons.

When they reached the portrait of Sir Cadogan halfway down the somber passageway, Harry stopped his imitation of professor Binns' droning and the pair stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Snape and Black speaking in hushed voices next to a large hanging bearing a long black serpent. The boys took a step back against the opposite wall where they could hide themselves in shadow, and hopefully overhear some of the conversation.

'I don't know what it is I'm to say Severus,' Professor Black's whisper travelled to their ears first.

'Don't worry about it, there is still plenty of time, and until we know for certain it is probably best not to tell anyone.'

'What am I to do about my sixth-year problem? He keeps on asking me about his Godfather and I cannot lie to the boy forever, he will eventually figure it out.'

'Not yet. Potter cannot know, whatever happens, or we fail. Do you understand Hyacinth?' Snape's hiss of a voice told the blond woman as he held her shoulders firmly. 'It is not a simple task that you are seeing through, but one that must be completed none the less.'

'I suppose you're right, I just hate that we have to do his bidding. Does it still hurt you every time?' she asked the hook-nosed man, reaching down and rubbing her forearm. Harry gasped quietly when he realized what she must be concealing under her robes, and who it was she was answering to. She was Voldemort's spy.

'What are you two doing,' a whisper said from behind the boys, causing them to both jump and yelp loudly.

'Shhhhh!' Harry said to Hermione, who had just snuck up behind them at seeing their hidden positions on her way to Potions. 'They'll have heard us now,' he said angrily. Looking back to the professors Harry was shocked to find the wall hanging standing alone, with no traces left behind that the secret conversation had taken place moments before.

'Where did they go?' Neville asked, looking around him quickly in case they got caught from behind again.

'What are you talking about? There's no one there,' Hermione said airily as she made her way out of the hiding place in the shadows and down the corridor toward their classroom. Neville and Harry exchanged confused looks before jogging to catch up to their bushy-haired friend.

They entered the classroom and took their respective seats, Harry and Neville scanning the room for Snape, who was clearly not present.

Hearing the start of lesson bell, Harry turned to face Hermione and decided that now would be a good time to apologise, as Snape was still not there.

'Hermione, I just wanted to say sorry for earlier. I didn't mean it. I was just really angry because you were talking about, well you know,' he said upon noticing Parvati's interest in what he said, 'and it just sounded like you were siding with the Ministry.'

'You know that I would never side with Fudge,' Hermione said to him with narrowed eyes, 'and if you don't know that by now, then I don't know why we're friends.'

'I do know that Hermione, and I said I was sorry,' Harry said pleadingly.

'Alright, but you have to stop taking your anger out on me,' she added before looking away from him and quickly opening her book to wherever it was she was reading.

'Oh, and Hermione, we're best friends,' he added before turning to the front and staring into Snape's dark black eyes not a foot away from his face.

'Isn't that touching,' he said mockingly to the whole class now, 'That will be five points from Gryffindor for preventing the start of lesson, and five more for irrelevant discussion.'

Glaring hard at the school's most despised professor, Harry said nothing, but allowed his expressions to speak for him.

'Today we will be brewing the draft of illumination. It is used in many forms of decoration around the globe, but is also sometimes used by Aurors in the process of questioning dark wizards. When they have captured several culprits it is common these days that they will plead innocent and insist that they were acting under the Imperius curse. Very cowardly,' he added with a look of disgust.

Harry and Neville exchanged unimpressed glances.

'The Auror's simply place a strand of hair from each prisoner in the vile of Illumination Draft and with a simple spell the guilty party or parties will be given up by a lime green glow below their skin's surface. If brewed correctly the draft will be a light shade of green and will give off a small amount of the same coloured steam. It should also possess a very thin consistency.'

Harry listened, for the first time in five years, intently to what Snape told them, as it pertained to Auror training and would possibly prove to be useful in his future. He noticed that the rest of the class also seemed very interested in what their teacher had to say, but no one, not even Hermione, was as absorbed as Neville. He was scratching notes feverishly across a piece of parchment, barely watching his quill as he did, so not to miss a thing Snape said.

Finally Snape ended the short lesson and flicked his wand at the blackboard causing the instructions for the brew to appear. Moments later, Harry and Neville were busy grinding the necessary Pixie elements, and skinning the Griffin liver component for their draft.

As always, Snape circled the room, walking up and down the aisles in search for something to criticize. Unfortunately for Lavender and Dean, he was unable to find anything wrong with Harry and Neville's brewing procedure and took thirty points from them instead.

The boys at the front most station worked quietly, effectively adding and stirring their ingredients, first clockwise then counter clockwise, for the next hour until eleven o'clock marked the halfway point in their double lesson.

'You will all bottle a small sample of your draft and place it on my desk for the days marking,' Snape told the class with a more than usual sharp tone.

Harry held his vile perfectly still while Neville ladled a scoop of their lightly steaming powder green draft into the bottles neck.

'Professor,' Malfoy said loudly from his place at the back of the dungeon, 'Could you come and check our draft, so that we can see how we did?'

Snape looked across the room with a smile before standing and gliding over to where Malfoy and Pansy sat together before their cauldron.

'Let's see,' Snape said, reaching for a ladle to scoop the potion and let it fall back in, 'the consistency is very good and the colour is also quite well done. This will earn an Outstanding for the day.'

Malfoy and Pansy smirked widely at the whole class before bottling their sample and starting to tidy up.

Harry could hear Hermione huffing quietly in frustration behind them, as she knew that Malfoy's potion was far from the Outstanding level, where hers and Parvati's clearly was.

He watched as she brought her vile up to Snape's desk and he accepted it without comment as it was indeed a perfect specimen, leaving him nothing to criticize but the way it was bottled with the cap on slightly too tight for his liking.

Malfoy walked up next and made quite a show of tripping over Hannah's concealed book bag, causing him to topple forward and throw his uncapped sample toward Harry and Neville's cauldron. Harry lunged forward to catch it, but before he could reach it, it paused in mid-air and turned direction, landing with plop and a small gurgle into the cauldron in front of Pansy.

'Professor,' Malfoy cried in anger, 'did you see what Potter did? He banished my sample into our cauldron. The draft will be ruined!'

'Yes Mr. Malfoy, I did. Potter you will serve a weeks detention with me every night at seven o'clock-'

'I didn't do anything!' he shouted in protest at the greasy-haired man.

'The whole class saw you do it scar-head,' Malfoy shouted at him in exasperation, fury flashing behind.

'You will serve detention at seven-'

'How could I banish something without a wand?' Harry said more calmly now, thankful that he did not need his wand that morning.

Snape stared at him coldly for a moment and Harry could tell that he was searching frantically for a way to justify the punishment. 'And why is it that you are not carrying your wand Potter?'

'Because I only had Herbology and Potions this morning. There was no need.'

'Very well,' Snape said smirking at him now, 'Granger, give me your wand.'

Hermione hesitantly pulled her wand out of her robes and handed it over to Snape who waved it through the air and shouted 'Prior Incantatem'. The whole class watched as the tip of the wand began glowing brightly, indicating the last spell cast to be 'lumos'.

'Take your wand back Granger,' Snape spat tersely. 'You next Longbottom,' Snape said reaching a hand out for Neville's wand.

'Longbottom can barely walk straight, let alone cast a decent spell,' Malfoy said sneering at him.

'All the same, Prior Incantatem,' Snape shouted once more as he waved Neville's poorly mended wand and watched with wide eyes as the faint form of a water goblet took on the shape of a large Bengal tiger. He grudgingly handed the wand back to its owner and stared at the class.

'Luckily you already received your mark for the day, and it appears that someone in this room has learned a secret or two in concealment charms. You will all write a foot long essay on the effects of the illumination draft to be handed in at the end of lesson. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Parkinson, you are exempt from this assignment as you were sabotaged today. You both may leave early now.'

Harry watched in anger as they grabbed their things and left the room laughing to themselves and smirking at the rest of the class who still had another hour of torment.

'You may now start your essays. There will be no need to talk or points will be deducted.'

When the lunch bell had rung, Harry, Neville, Hermione, Dean, Lavender and Parvati slumped up the dungeon stairway, rubbing their hands and grumbling about the injustice of the long essay.

'I can't believe he blamed me for the banishing charm,' Hermione complained as they sat down across from Ron and Ginny in the Great Hall, and Dean, Parvati and Lavender went to sit with Seamus. 'I mean, I knew he'd blame you Harry, but why Neville and I, he had no reason.'

'Actually he did,' Neville said quietly. 'It was me.'

'What!' Hermione said, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. 'How? Snape checked your wand.'

'Yes, but not the right one.' Neville pulled his glued wand out of his robe pocket and then reached into the other one and pulled out a slender leather case. Opening the case, he pulled out another wand; one that Harry did not recognize.

'If that's your wand, then whose is that?' Ron asked curiously about the one from the casing.

'My mum's,' Neville answered calmly. 'That's the one I used in the Potion's classroom, and mine is the one that Snape inspected. It was my dad's.'

'Very sneaky,' Ron said, reaching across the table to pat Neville on the back.

'Why do you carry both?' Ginny asked him, now suddenly fascinated by the boy who had always been extremely boring.

'Well I broke my dad's at the Ministry this summer remember, so now I use my mum's. But Snape doesn't know that,' he added with a small grin.

Harry just stared at the easily embarrassed boy in front of him, who as of today, became the first student he had ever seen fool Snape. He could hardly believe. Now he was certain that there was something different about the blond boy. He just wished he knew what it was.

The warning bell for their next lesson rang as they were finishing up their lunch and Harry watched as all of the sixth year students collected their things to make their way to the Defense classroom or to their common rooms for supplies. Remembering his essay assignment for Professor Black, Harry told Hermione, Neville and Ron that he would meet them in the lesson and turned off toward the common room to fetch it.

The corridors were filled with laughing students and most of the translucent house ghosts were floating above their heads, as he made his way up the third floor stairway to the portrait of the fat lady. 'Murtlap Sap'.

'Very well, but you must be quick or you'll be late. You don't want the house cup to go to Slytherin,' she warned, making him quicken his pace significantly.

He rushed through the porthole and across the empty but very warm common room, almost running right into Marc who was coming down the boys' stairway with quite a large sac on his back.

'Sorry Harry,' he called as he continued toward the exit, slumping slightly under the weight of his bag.

'Where are you off to?' Harry asked, not worrying now about being late, but curious instead as to why Marc was carrying such a large rucksack.

'Oh, just off to Defense class,' Mark told him quickly, and Harry noticed now the dark circles under the boys normally light blue eyes. Today they seemed somewhat dull and sunk in, and he looked rather pale causing him to look quite ill. Marc looked extremely unnerved and on the verge of tears. If Harry had to guess he would say that his new friend had just suffered a tragedy.

'But Marc, I have Defense right now,' Harry told him, watching the younger boy's eyes race around for another answer.

'That's right, sorry, I meant Potions,' he said, slapping a hand to his forehead dumbly and telling Harry he had to be on time before rushing through the exit.

Harry climbed the stairs to his dormitory, wondering what could have been wrong with Marc, and why he had lied about where he was going. Should he follow him to see where he was going with whatever was in the sac? No, not with Defense as his next lesson. There was no way he could get out of detention with that foul woman if he got caught skiving. He collected his essay and the large volume used to write it from his bedside bureau and quickly rushed back out of the common room toward the Defense classroom.

Entering the classroom, he was relieved to find that the lesson had not yet started and that all of the students were still chatting merrily to one another before their retched teacher could arrive. He took his seat in the second row, once again next to Ron, and let the enormous text and his essay drop heavily onto the desk with a thud.

'Finished it then did you?' Ron said to him, a proud smile on his face as he patted Harry on the back.

'Yeah. It wasn't all that bad though. Sort of interesting actually.' Ron slid away from him, bug-eyed and open-mouthed. Neville, Hermione and Dean were all watching him now too, wondering what horror could have invoked this reaction in Ron.

'Be careful,' Ron said loudly, 'Harry's caught the Hermione virus, and it might be contagious.' He started to laugh loudly next to Harry and Neville who had now joined in, as well as Dean and Hermione, who had reached over and slapped Ron hard on the arm, making him wince slightly as he continued to laugh.

'That will be five points from each of you,' Professor Black's stern voice cut through the air, bringing with it instant silence, 'and an additional five from both Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. You are Prefects and should be setting a good example, not creating disruptions and mayhem.'

All of the Gryffindors grumbled loudly, not caring what their professor would do, and each of them showing their hatred for her clearly through their eyes. No one looked more upset than Hermione though, who was now glaring daggers at their professor, for what Harry noticed was only the second time in five years.

'Now, today we will be learning a very basic but useful blocking technique and then we will move on to a curse.'

A mumbling travelled the classroom as all of the students whispered to one another about what they had just heard.

'Yes Mr. Malfoy?' Professor Black asked quietly at noticing the platinum-haired Prefect raise his hand.

'I'm sorry professor, but did I hear you correctly? Will we actually be learning a curse? Normally we learn how to defend against them and that sort of rubbish.'

'Yes, you did hear me correctly Mr. Malfoy, and the best way to defend against a curse is to know the curse itself, and that sort of rubbish.'

A few of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs laughed at her making fun of Malfoy, who was now turning slightly pink in the cheeks.

'We will be learning to block the disarming charm, Expelliarmus. Yes Mr. Potter?' she added in a much more stern voice when she saw Harry's hand now lifted into the air.

'I finished my essay, would you like it now,' Harry said through gritted teeth, and watched as she smiled at him.

'Why yes I would. Accio essay.' The class watched as Harry's essay whipped across the room and landed neatly in the palm of Professor Black's hand. Placing the unread essay on her desk, she turned back to the class and stared at Harry for a moment.

'Well done Mr. Potter. That will be an Acceptable.'

'What? But you haven't even read it,' Harry said loudly at the blond woman, who was smiling more broadly than ever.

'You can't grade something if you haven't read it. It's absurd!' Hermione cried from her place in front of him in almost a hysterical shriek.

'You are absolutely right Miss Granger. Good suggestion.' She lifted her wand and with a swish and flick she said 'Wingardium Leviosa,' suspending the assignment two feet off her desk. As the entire room watched intently, she cried 'Inflamare!' and the once neatly rolled essay caught fire on both ends before becoming a pile of ash on the edge of her desk.

'What are you doing?' Hermione shrieked, unable to believe something so dreadful could occur in her perfect schooling system, 'Harry worked hard on that!'

'It doesn't matter,' Harry said from behind her, trying to calm her so that she would retake her seat and avoid further Gryffindor punishment. 'I'm alright with an Acceptable.'

'No Mr. Potter, Miss Granger is correct. I cannot grade something that I have not read, so you will not receive a grade for that. I will require a new essay to grade. This time on the Unforgivables from Spain. You will once again require the use of that text. It's to be two feet and handed in by tomorrow's lesson.'

'So you can burn it,' Harry mumbled.

'What was that?' she asked icily as though daring him to test her patience.

'I said pardon me,' he replied through a clenched jaw while glaring at the short professor.

'And I said three feet for tomorrow.' Harry narrowed his eyes further, and watched as her broad smile extended to her icy eyes before she continued with the class' instructions.

One by one the students stood and, using professor Black's twirl and jab technique, successfully blocked then countered the 'Expelliarmus' charm. Thoroughly pleased with themselves, many of the students sat back down and awaited the professor's next instructions.

'Each of you will now pair off for the next exercise.'

All of the students looked to the person with whom they were seated and then back up to the professor.

'I'm sorry, I meant someone from a different house.'

There was a mad scrambling as everyone started to pair off as quickly as possible so not to get stuck with a Slytherin partner. Moments later the students of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw were paired successfully, but every Slytherin was still in their seat.

'This won't do at all,' Professor Black said, shaking her head disappointedly at them. 'Miss Granger you will work with Miss Bullstrode, Mr. Thomas with Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Longbottom with Miss Parkinson-'

Harry watched in disgust as each of the Gryffindors was paired with a Slytherin. As Ron was paired with Goyle, Harry's stomach wretched when he realised that the only Slytherin left was Malfoy. Plopping down at the back of the room next to Malfoy, Harry turned back to the front so he wouldn't have to look at the greasy blond ferret's smug expression.

'Please open your books to page one hundred and thirty five and read the paragraph describing the effects of the Morsus curse. You will then discuss the effects with your partner and how you think it would be used most effectively.'

Harry opened his book and heard the rustle of pages signalling the class's compliance as well. He started to read the description of the pain-causing curse when he realised that Malfoy was still just sitting there without a book in front of him.

'You'd better read Malfoy. I'm not losing points because you're not doing what you're told,' Harry said coldly, throwing a glare his way.

'I don't have to read it scar-head. I'm very familiar with the Morsus curse, proving again that I know more about Defense Against the Dark Arts than the famous Harry Potter,' he retorted, more smugly than ever.

'That's interesting,' Ron said from his spot next to Goyle, 'because last I heard, the famous Harry Potter scored the new world record in Defense on his O.W.L's.' Malfoy's eyes widened in surprise for a moment before the regular snot expression returned.

'If I had the most senile examiner of the bunch, I would have the record too,' Malfoy scowled at Ron before looking away.

Satisfied with Malfoy's reaction, Harry started to read the information about the Morsus curse and immediately understood why his blond-haired partner would be so acquainted with it. The curse was a particularly nasty bit of dark magic, causing pain to different parts of the victim, depending on which body part is specified during the casting of the curse. Harry was surprised that not more Slytherins knew of this element in the Dark Arts. Especially Crabbe and Goyle; both of their fathers being known Death Eaters.

Moments later the end of lesson bell rang and Harry found himself once again lugging the heavy Unforgivables text through the noisy corridors toward his next classroom.

'Where do we go?' Ron asked Hermione, who was the only one of them to have previously taken Muggle Studies.

'If you read your timetable you would see that it's on the fourth floor, just down from the spare Astronomy classroom,' she told him, handing her timetable over to him to read.

'There's a spare Astronomy classroom?'

'You're absolutely hopeless,' Hermione huffed from between Harry and Ron as they walked.

Reaching the fourth floor landing, they saw students from other houses walking slowly, looking around for their new classroom. Harry walked in behind Ron and found that the room was a perfect mirror image of their Charms classroom with the exception of the teaching items and wall hangings. The shelves running around the room were filled with items from the Muggle world and Harry laughed when he saw a shelf covered in electric plugs and light bulbs, reminding him of Mr. Weasley.

The Gryffindors once again sat in the front of the room next to the Hufflepuffs and Harry looked up toward the poster Ron was reading, depicting an old stationary car over the words: Department of Motor Vehicles. Come get your drivers license. He laughed when he saw Ron's guilty expression, telling Harry that he was thinking about illegally driving the Ford Anglia in their second year.

Harry saw that approximately half of the students were busy looking around the room wide-eyed while the half were sitting there neither bothered nor interested in what the course called Muggle Artifacts. Clearly many of the students were Muggleborns or at least half-blood, having already provided each of them the opportunity to see many of these everyday items.

Seamus was halfway through explaining to Ron the purpose of a typewriter when a short, plump, bespectacled man walked in, carrying a tattered old briefcase similar to Lupin's and a thick brown volume that Harry knew to be the class' reference. He set the book down onto an old, but from the smell freshly varnished desk, before adjusting his suspenders and looking up at the class and smiling.

'Hello everyone, I'm Professor Windum and we'll be together for the next several months on Tuesday's and Thursday's for sixth year Muggle Studies.'

Harry noticed him wink and smile at someone in the class but didn't know who until Hermione waved back quietly. He had forgotten that she was probably the only one of them all to have already taken the course and met the professor.

'Professor Dumbledore has now made this a requirement for all sixth year students,' professor Windum started to tell the class.

'Always rubbish from that Muggle and Mudblood lover,' Malfoy drawled from the back of the room creating a cacophony of shrieks and grunts of approval from the other Slytherins present. Professor Windum had apparently not heard him and Hermione pretended not to here them as she flipped through the pages of Technology: What's it Good For?

'We will start with a very simple term of basics including Muggle transportation, living styles and clothing,' he continued to tell the less than interested class, 'Then after Christmas we will learn about their politics and laws.'

The hour passed slowly as Harry listened to the pudgy professor's ramblings about cars, trucks, trains and airplanes, interrupted often by Malfoy's snide remarks and Seamus' indignant huffs of boredom. Finally the end of lesson bell rang and the whole class was dismissed after being issued a ten-inch essay on the practicality of driving laws. Harry listened to the many grumblings of the students as they filed out of the classroom, complaining about the injustice of learning about a world they barely needed.

'I for one am glad we have to take this course,' Harry said to no one in particular.

Hermione looked shocked for a minute and then figured it was sarcasm, giving him a mock grin before continuing on her way.

'Good one mate,' Ron said, smiling as he too continued toward Gryffindor common room.

'No really, it'll be a really easy Outstanding,' Harry added, seeing the look of understanding on Hermione and Neville's faces as they shook their heads and rolled their eyes at him.

After having written that essay last night, and then having to write another tonight, it would be best if he snuck in nap before dinnertime. That way he could feel energized and ready to start during his first animagus training session with McGonagall. What would it look like if he could barely keep his eyes open after the second day back to school?

He told the others that he would see them during dinner and walked up the twisting stairs to his dormitory, where he pulled back the hangings of his four-poster and crawled underneath the heavy burgundy duvet, snuggled his face deep into his pillow and almost immediately fell into a dreamless sleep.

He was awoken less than an hour later, not by the annoying buzzing of his alarm clock, but by a scream louder than he thought he'd ever heard. He bolted upright in bed and looked around in the darkness created by the hangings of his four-poster. Sweeping them out of the way, Harry saw the large red numbers on his tiny blue clock glowing five sixteen, and hopped out of bed to see what the commotion was all about. He hurried across the dorm room as the horrible screaming continued, barely audible from where he was, and it didn't stop until he was halfway down the stairs. Finally emerging from the staircase, he fell upon the strangest sight he had seen in a while.

The portrait of the fat lady slammed shut and all of the Gryffindor students from just about every year were crowded in a large circle in the middle of the round room, none of them speaking, but rather staring at someone in the middle that Harry could not see. Slowly stepping forward, he was shocked to see Hermione and Ginny leaning over a petrified looking Ron, surrounded by pieces of what used to be a handsome end table.

'Ron!' Harry cried, rushing through the sea of students to kneel down next to his best friend and find out what had done this. 'How did this happen? Is he petrified?' he asked Hermione who was staring worriedly at the frozen red-haired boy.

A few students behind him laughed at Harry's comment, receiving deadly glares from all three of them.

'Enervate!' Hermione shouted, flicking her wand at Ron and watching as he slowly unfroze and started to stir, reaching up to his head and groaning as he sat up in the pile of splintered wood. 'There's nothing left to see here. You can all get on with your business now,' Hermione shouted authoritively to everyone gawking at her friend.

'You should all be ashamed of yourselves, now go to dinner!' Ginny cried angrily at the students that did not leave immediately.

As the students filed out of the common room quickly, most of them now whispering about whatever it was they had seen, Harry noticed Dean quietly edge around the room and slip out alone.

'What just happened here?' he asked again, looking to Ron, who was still rubbing his head and looking groggily at everyone. 'Who attacked you?' he asked, 'Was it a Slytherin?' he added more urgently, 'Was it Malfoy?'

'No,' Ginny said coldly, standing and fixing a menacing look on her face. 'It was Parvati.'


	10. Familiar Faces

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Chapter 10: Familiar Faces

'What!' Harry said, turning to face the youngest Weasley, not sure he had heard her correctly, 'Parvati Patil did this? Why?'

'We don't know,' Hermione started to explain. 'Ron, Ginny, Neville and I were just finishing our third game of exploding snaps when Ron realized he was ten minutes late to wake you up.'

'He told us where he was going and then headed toward our dormitory,' Neville continued for her. 'That's when he ran into Parvati! I don't even know where she came from,' he commented curiously.

'She'd been talking to Dean, it looked like,' Ginny said darkly as she scanned the room for her boyfriend, 'then she stormed off and smacked right into Ron, dropping her book bag and spilling all of her things.'

The three of them continued to tell Harry how Parvati had snapped, and exploded at Ron, screaming some of the dirtiest words they had ever heard at him and finally using the 'Petrificus Totalus' and shoving him as hard as she could onto the end table before stalking through the port hole. Harry looked down at his best friend who was now a deep shade of scarlet, and was deliberately avoiding eye contact with any of them.

'What did she do that for?' Neville finally asked him. 'Did you say something?'

Ron shook his head, and made to get up quickly, clearly not in the mood to talk to anyone about what had just occurred. Harry followed him halfway up the stairs to their room, before Ron turned and told him he wanted to be alone for a while. He understood how Ron felt.

'I'll bring you back some dinner then,' he called up to him as he returned to the others and headed down to the Great Hall for what would likely be an uncomfortable dinner.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Harry was not surprised to see that all of the house tables were gossiping wildly about the events that had just taken place not fifteen minutes ago. If he had learned one thing from attending Hogwarts, it was that there is no such thing as a secret. He dropped into his seat across from Hermione and slid over to allow room for Neville.

'Do you think he'll be alright?' Neville asked quietly, making sure that no one outside of their small group could hear him.

'He'll be fine,' Hermione said quickly, but with less certainty in her voice than usual, 'He's just a little embarrassed right now, but soon it will go away and the school will find something new to talk about.'

'That's true,' Neville added. 'Just yesterday it was Harry being Gryffindor's heir and look how quickly they've forgotten about that.'

'Thanks for the reminder Nev,' Harry said through clenched teeth, looking around him to ensure that no one had overheard. But Neville was right; not a person looked his way through the entirety of his meal and he decided that perhaps they had forgotten.

He looked around and noticed that at the other end of the table Parvati was sitting alone, textbooks strewn around her ensuring that no one could take the seats next to her. He also noticed Ginny standing in the corner of the hall shouting at a less than pleased looking Dean. They were too far away for him to understand what they were saying but it was very plain to him that Ginny was not impressed with him for one reason or another. This, Harry decided, was not a bad thing.

He continued to glance around the hall, pointedly avoiding the Slytherin table, but then paused as his eyes swept passed the staff table and he found professor McGonagall staring at him. He looked back and gave the tiniest of head movements, receiving an equal nod in return.

When they had all returned to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione and Neville started to work on their homework assignment for Charms, while Harry agreed to start a game of Gobstones with the Creevey brothers.

Two minutes into the game Ginny came storming in through the port hole with an extremely frustrated look on her face and barked at a couple of second years to get out of her way before sitting down in one of the large armchairs near the fire. Both Creevey brothers excused themselves quickly agreeing that they would be safer anywhere far from the fuming prefect.

Remembering how he had treated Cho's feelings last year, Harry gave Hermione a forceful glance in hopes that she would speak with the redhead and save him from worsening the situation. She walked quietly over to the armchair next to Ginny and after a moment of silence, asked her if everything was alright.

'Yes Hermione, everything is alright,' she snapped back at the older girl, 'I always scream at second years after dinner.' Ginny looked back toward the fire and glared more fiercely than before. Harry cringed at hearing the tone in her comment. He had never heard her speak like that before.

'I was just trying to help,' Hermione said, looking both affronted and hurt by the smaller girls words as she started to get up. Harry and Neville both leaned back slightly on the couch, neither of them wanting to get into Ginny's line of fire.

'I'm sorry Hermione,' Ginny said quickly, grabbing her arm and stopping her from leaving, 'It's just Dean.'

'What did he do?' she asked quietly, walking back to the younger girl and taking the seat opposite her.

'Well I'm not saying it's entirely his fault, but he could have been nicer to Parvati. That's what I told him and he got angry with me!' Ginny said, flailing her arms in the air in disbelief.

'So that's what happened,' Hermione said with an air of understanding, leaning back in the large squashy armchair and looking at Ginny who was nodding at her, 'Poor Ron. He just got in the way at the wrong time.'

Harry and Neville looked at each other in confusion as the two girls continued to sit across from each other exchanging what the boys thought to be irrelevant and incomplete ideas with complete comprehension.

'What do you mean poor Ron?' Harry finally interrupted them. 'What does Dean have to do with any of this?'

'Don't you see,' Hermione started to explain to the boys as though they were four-year-olds. 'Parvati must have liked Dean so she asked him to go on the next Hogsmeade trip with her.'

'But he's dating Ginny,' Neville said confused.

'Yes, but Parvati must not have known. They did only start seeing each other at the end of last term. Then when Dean told her, she was embarrassed in front of all those people and stormed out. The poor girl,' Hermione said sadly, holding a hand to her mouth in sympathy.

'And that's when she ran into Ron!' Harry said, finally understanding. 'I still can't believe she petrified him like that, though' he said with a scowl.

'She wasn't thinking straight,' Hermione defended her roommate, 'She was hurt.'

'That still didn't give her the right to do what she did, Hermione. I'm going to check on Ron and bring him his dinner,' Harry said standing up and collecting a small package of potatoes and beans that he had managed to sneak out of the Great Hall.

'I'll come with you,' Neville offered, also standing to follow him upstairs, clearly keen on leaving the room before he was forced to talk about Ginny and Dean.

'Just give us a couple of minutes, alright,' Harry told the blond boy before receiving a disappointed nod in response and disappearing up the right hand staircase.

He quietly walked into the dormitory to find the hangings pulled tightly around Ron's four-poster. Deciding not to let him sulk alone, Harry walked up to the bed and pulled the hangings back ready for the onslaught of curses he was sure Ron would throw at him. To his surprise, Ron was not there, but instead he found a small piece of parchment lying on the pillow. Picking it up he read: _Thanks Harry, I'll get them back to you tomorrow_.

Thinking for a minute about what the note could mean, Harry rushed over to his trunk, and after a few seconds of rummaging, he found that his invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map were both missing.

Smiling to himself, Harry continued to rifle through his things before pulling out the book he had received from professor McGonagall and tucking it securely into the folds of his robes.

He quickly closed his trunk and made sure to pull Ron's hangings closed again before leaving, making sure not to raise any questions about Ron's whereabouts from the others. He ran into Neville halfway down the stairs and told him that Ron would be fine and that he had gone to bed for the night. Neville nodded his understanding and told him that he would just grab some things quietly and let him be.

Returning to the common room, Harry found Hermione and Ginny still sitting near the fire discussing what he assumed was Ginny and Dean's relationship. Wanting absolutely nothing to do with it, he told them he had to see McGonagall about Quidditch try-outs and headed toward the exit.

He slowly edged down to the second floor corridor and toward the other end of the castle, whistling to himself as he scanned the walls for anything out of the ordinary, knowing quite well that there would not be any changes. His walk remained uneventful until he reached the top of the staircase leading down to the entrance hall and watched curiously as one of the front doors to the castle opened and admitted a cloaked stranger before closing again.

Harry watched from the top of the stairs as the newcomer pulled down her hood to reveal that she was not in fact a stranger but Professor Black. She flattened her robes as she crossed the hall briskly, looking around almost nervously to see if anyone had seen her. Harry thought this was odd but decided that she must have been to the village and that he really did not have time to worry about it at the moment.

As he walked down the second floor corridor, his mind began to race as he thought of what sort of animal he might choose to become. Maybe he could be a stag like his dad, or a dog like Sirius. When he finally reached the large brown door to the Transfiguration professor's office, he lifted his arm and knocked loudly. He heard McGonagall's voice call him in and the door swung open, revealing the old woman behind her desk grading what looked to him like ten-foot-long parchments.

Noticing the look on Harry's face, McGonagall gave a small laugh. 'Don't worry Potter. You won't have to do this until seventh year. Please take a seat.' She casually waved her wand and a large squashy armchair, much like the ones in the common room, appeared across from her.

Harry sat down across from her and waited until she finished placing tiny scribbles on the long parchment in front of her and waved her wand to clear the assignments away.

'Now Potter, I assume you brought your text with you,' she asked matter-of-factly as she looked to his hands for the small book.

'Uh, yeah,' he said, reaching into his robes and letting it drop onto the desk for her to see.

'And I'll assume that you've also read it cover to cover,' she added, as though it would be ridiculous for her to assume otherwise. Harry reddened significantly.

'Actually professor, I've only read the introduction. I didn't think we would be starting so soon and I've been so busy-'

'That's fine Potter,' McGonagall said smiling thinly, 'I will just run through a brief explanation of what we will be doing today then.'

Harry nodded.

'Today will be the preliminary trials. We will not actually do any transformations for the first couple of weeks, but rather find out what it is you may become.'

'You mean I can pick my animal today?' Harry said excitedly, having decided to become a dog like his Godfather had been.

'Not exactly. You see it is not you who choose the animal, but the animal that chooses you. I spoke with professor Snape and he has kindly supplied me with a Dreamless Sleep potion. You will drink it after I have cast the first of a series of spells and your sleep will last only minutes. During this slumber, you should at some point encounter the animal that will choose you. Do you understand?'

Harry once again nodded and watched as his Head of House turned to the large cabinet behind her desk. She opened the large doors and shifted some dusty vials out of the way before grasping a tall, slender vile filled with the thick magenta fluid Harry knew so well. He took the sample of Dreamless Sleep potion from McGonagall's outstretched arm and waited silently, tilting the contents back and forth, while she continued to pull items out of the aged cupboard.

Finally, with all the necessary items set out before her, professor McGonagall opened Harry's Animagus text and began to read one of the spells she had spoken of, while flicking and twisting her wand in a series of difficult and complicated movements.

'You may now drink the draft,' she said as she sat back down in her armchair and watched him uncork the vile and raise it to his lips.

After feeling the warm and soothing sensation of the potion slide down his throat, the urge to sleep overtook him and the last thing he saw through heavy eyelids was professor McGonagall once again scribbling notes on the returned assignments.

Harry opened his eyes to find himself sitting on the cool ground at the edge of the Forbidden Forest after sundown. He stood quickly and looked all around him, searching for any sign of life, any indication that his animagus form was around. Nothing.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and listened for a sound that might help him find an animal, after all, he was right outside the Forbidden Forest. As hard as he tried, there was not a single sound around him, something Harry found very unnerving, as there were always strange noises emerging from the Forest whether it be day or night.

Remembering what McGonagall had said about the dream only lasting several minutes, Harry decided he would have to find the animal himself and lunged forward toward the looming branches of the dark forest. Just as he set his first footstep into the shadows, a soft sound entered his ears making him stop abruptly, and withdraw his leg from the darkness. He took several steps backward now, shaking his head as the soft hissing sound grew louder.

'No,' he said loudly, 'Please no.'

As Harry watched through disbelieving eyes, a large figure started to emerge from the branches not ten feet in front of him. He watched as the Hagrid-sized serpent slithered out of the shadows and it's silvery scales shone brightly in the now glistening moonlight. He tried to cry out again, but found that his throat muscles had seized, not allowing even the slightest sound to escape his body.

No, it couldn't be. He should have seen it coming; the animal he would turn into would be a snake. Harry lay frozen to the spot as he watched the king of all serpents stop right in front of him and leaned it's head down, so to gaze into his frightened eyes with its own eerie yellow slits. He shut his eyes tightly not wanting to feel instant death, and shook slightly when he heard what sounded like a long pent up breath being released.

'Harry Potter,' the basilisk's low hiss said to him on the other side of his closed lids. Harry could feel himself begin to shake involuntarily.

Before Harry could even try to respond to the monster in front of him, loud pounding sounded near the edge of the woods as something heavy landed and started to speed toward them. A high-pitched neigh pierced the still air and Harry opened his eyes in time to see the basilisk's tail retreating into the Forest followed closely by enormous dark hooves.

He tried to stand up to get a better look at what had caused the serpent to flee, but found that sleep was once again over-taking him and though moments before he had been struggling to keep his eyes closed, now it was all he could do to keep them open.

He awoke moments later to the scratching sound of quill on parchment, and as he opened his eyes he found the Transfiguration professor grading scrolls just as he had left her. Looking up from her work, McGonagall gave him a very expectant look, clearly waiting to hear what it was his animagus form would be.

Harry opened his mouth to tell her, but then looked away from her quickly, feeling ashamed that his animagus form would be the same monstrosity as that of the most evil wizard of their time.

'Well,' McGonagall said impatiently, narrowing her eyes at now-reserved boy in front of her, 'What did you see then Potter?'

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat, for what he thought would be an amazing new lesson turned out to be one of the most uncomfortable and disappointing things he'd ever done at Hogwarts. 'Well, it wasn't really all that clear,' he lied to her, not wanting to discuss the large basilisk. He decided that if that was to be his form, he would rather give up his chance to learn the art of Animagi.

'You must have seen something because I heard you mumbling in your sleep. I've never had a problem with anyone before. Now tell me what you saw.'

Harry realized that there was no avoiding the situation so he just told her what he had seen. He spoke of the castle grounds followed by the deathly quiet, and finally his encounter with the king of serpents before it was chased away by what he assumed was a Centaur. McGonagall's stony features had seemingly faltered momentarily, being replaced by a look of shock, but as Harry watched her she quickly recovered, and a small smile tugged at her thin mouth.

'Very well, you shall learn to become a serpent. I should have figured as much seeing as how you-know-who did transfer some of his powers to you.'

'If it's all the same to you professor, I'd rather not learn to become a basilisk,' he said quietly, but with such resolve, it made his teacher narrow her eyes once more.

'Well that's very well, because I'm afraid you will not become a basilisk.' Harry looked up at her with a questioning look. 'Basilisk's are a magical creature, and Animagi have not taken the forms of magical creatures, and registered,' she added with a huff, 'since the time of Hogwarts founders. Godric, Salazar, Rowena, and Helga are the only known witches and wizards to have accomplished it, so Harry, as special as you may be, there is no need to worry about becoming the king of serpents. In all likelihood, you will become a serpent no larger than this desk.'

'But what about the dream,' Harry asked, still not entirely convinced. 'The snake that approached me was definitely the size of a basilisk, and I would know,' he added firmly and watched as McGonagall cringed slightly at the thought of him in the Chamber of Secrets. 'If I hadn't closed my eyes I'm certain I would be dead right now. I'm just thankful that it was frightened by that Centaur's warning call.'

Professor McGonagall looked at him oddly now, 'Warning call? What sort of warning call?'

'It was a high pitched sort of neighing,' Harry tried to describe it best he could.

'And you saw the Centaur make this noise?' she asked curiously.

'No,' Harry said, starting to become annoyed, ' I told you I had my eyes closed, so all I saw were hooves disappearing into the woods behind the serpents tail.' Harry was slightly alarmed when professor McGonagall gave a short laugh, something he had never seen her do before.

'Uh, professor?' he asked, becoming increasingly agitated. 'What exactly is so funny?'

'Harry, you've been into the Forbidden Forest before, and you've seen Centaurs before, correct?' Harry nodded, thinking of Firenze and then all the others from his encounter with Umbridge at the end of last year. 'Have you ever heard them neigh?' she asked with a steely gaze.

'Well, no. I suppose I've only ever heard them speak english.'

'Exactly. Centaurs do not neigh. They would rather die than be caught acting as anything inferior to humans. That means that what you saw was not a Centaur, but most likely a horse or a stag, meaning-'

'I'm not going to be a basilisk!' Harry interrupted loudly, now leaning on the edge of his armchair excitedly. Relief flooded through his body as he realized that he would not be a creature of death, but one more like his father's.

'No. I assume you will take on the shape of a Mustang. There are several in the forest and that is probably what you saw. Now, I will explain the next few steps of the preliminaries and I need you to concentrate. That is unless you still wish to stop the training?' she asked, the corners of her mouth tugging upward.

'Of course not professor,' Harry said, now also smiling at her.

For the next hour, Harry listened intently to the intricate spell work involved in the preliminary trials and tried his best not to interrupt whenever McGonagall would pause between spells. Finally, the last charm was set and Harry was free to go.

'We can meet again on Thursday, Potter,' she told him as he stood to leave, collecting his new copy of Dare to be Different from her desktop, 'And remember, no one is to know,' she warned.

'Absolutely professor,' he assured her as he made for the door.

'Potter,' she called him back before he slipped through the doorway.

'I promise I won't tell Ron or Hermione,' he said honestly.

'That's wonderful, but I was just wondering if we had a new Gryffindor Quidditch team yet?'

Harry stared at her blankly for a moment, registering what she had said.

'Uh, no ma'am. Not yet.'

'Perfect, then could you please inform Mr. Weasley that he is to hold house try-outs on Friday evening after dinner. I've already booked the pitch.'

'Very well professor, but why does Ron have to do it?' He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to understand her meaning.

'Well you see Potter, as the new Quidditch captain it will be his responsibility to handle these sorts of things, don't you agree?'

'Quidditch captain?' Harry said loudly, 'He never mentioned that!'

'That's because he does not know yet,' McGonagall answered simply, 'I thought you might like to be the one to tell him.'

'Thank you professor,' Harry said quickly with a wide grin and rushed through the door before she could say another word, almost running into Neville as he entered McGonagall's office.

Harry rushed through the corridors of the second floor, completely ignoring the odd looks he received from the small groups of students headed to their common rooms. Normally he would have felt a small pang of jealousy at not being made captain, but then again there was really no one else he would rather lose it to.

If there was anything that would help cheer Ron up, it was this. He had always dreamed of being Quidditch captain, and in their first year, he had even seen it in the Mirror of Erised. Harry could not wait to tell him.

He rushed back into the Gryffindor common room, shouting the password 'Murtlap Sap' and being scolded loudly by the fat lady for his lack of discretion as he entered. Looking around quickly, he saw Hermione and Ginny now seated at the table under the window, both doing their assignments, and he remembered that Ron was not up in his bed asleep, but off wandering the castle somewhere under his invisibility cloak.

Harry sighed deeply and dropped loudly into one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace. He watched the golden flames dance merrily and felt their warmth on his face. Unfortunately he was not in the mood to be sitting alone, when he had such great news for his seemingly depressed best friend. Looking around he decided that another game of Gobstones or exploding snap would take his mind off things until he could speak with Ron.

No one was around except for the girls and a couple of first and second years, who appeared to be playing their own version of wizarding chess, resulting in many exploding pawns. Where were the other sixth years? Parvati must have been up in her room, probably being comforted by Lavender, Dean was still undoubtedly avoiding Ginny, and Seamus would have followed him around willingly, so that left Neville. Then Harry remembered almost knocking him over outside McGonagall's office door.

Well, that was all of his friends. Wait a second. Where was his youngest roommate? Harry hadn't seen Marc since earlier that day in the common room, when he had lied about where he was going with his large knapsack.

'Ginny,' he decided to interrupt her homework, 'have you seen Marc anywhere? I mean after your last class.'

'Uh, no. He wasn't in my last class. I'm not sure where he went,' she said, now crinkling her forehead in thought. 'The last time I saw him was right before lunch. Sorry Harry.' She turned back to her homework and Hermione, who had not even looked up, being too engrossed in her studies to notice the interruption.

Harry continued to think about the newest Gryffindor boy's peculiar actions, until the common room portrait swung open to reveal the energetic Creevey brothers toting several small cameras in their arms and around their necks. Spotting Harry by the fire, they quickly bee-lined to him and Harry soon found himself resuming their earlier game of Gobstones.

At half past eight Harry ended the game with the excitable brothers and excused himself quietly toward the porthole, explaining that he had to serve detention with Snape. He slipped out into the corridors and started to make his way to the statue of the gargoyle guarding the Headmasters office, taking his time as he was not looking forward to his lesson.

Although the kind old Headmaster would now be teaching him, Harry decided that he would much rather sit through a double-lesson with Snape than continue his Occlumency training. The complete invasion of his most private thoughts and memories was more than he liked to share with anyone. Most of the memories accessed during his sessions with Snape had been those that Harry had spent years trying to conceal and forget, and now he was forced to relive them for what he thought was a useless cause.

The training did not even seem to help. It was meant to help protect the members of the Order, but it no longer mattered to Harry as the greatest damage had already been caused. Sirius was dead.

Turning the last corner of his short walk, the statue of the gargoyle came into view and Harry felt his heart sink as he walked toward it, dragging his feet. He had still not decided what he should tell Dumbledore about his nightmare concerning Voldemort. Would the headmaster see it in his thoughts? Harry was momentarily horror struck at the thought of Dumbledore seeing him use an unforgivable curse.

He took a deep breath from where he stood in the shadow cast by the large gargoyle and finally said 'Fizzing Whizbee.' The statue hopped out of the way immediately, exposing the ever-familiar spiralling stairs for Harry to ride up to Dumbledore's round office. Upon knocking on the large oak door to the office, Harry was greeted with a warm 'Please come in Harry.'

Having been in this office more times than he cared to remember, Harry looked around at all of the odd trinkets still in place in the unchanged room. The sorting hat remained perched atop a large bookshelf, probably planning the next year's sorting song Harry thought to himself, and Fawkes the Phoenix sat peacefully on his perch next to the fireplace, his golden feathers gleaming in the light offered by the roaring flames.

As always, Dumbledore sat quietly behind his large wooden desk, covered in what Harry noticed were the items he had so brutally destroyed the summer before. Dumbledore smiled when he noticed Harry looking at the contents on his desk.

'All easily repaired Harry. No need to worry.'

'Sorry about that professor,' Harry said quietly, reddening slightly at his childish actions.

'Shall we begin then?' Dumbledore said, getting up from behind his desk, and giving Harry the impression that this was not a request. Apparently there would not be a lecture or a life altering explanation this evening.

Harry stood and followed the old wizard to the center of the round room, where Dumbledore faced him and pulled his wand out of the folds in his robes. Harry also took out his wand, but felt awkward; he had little problem pointing his wand at Snape, but he felt very uncomfortable pointing it at the greatest wizard of the time.

'You will not need your wand for this lesson,' Dumbledore told him politely, and waited for him to secure it in his pocket. 'Now, I will start slowly by using the Legilimens on you and trying to see some of your earlier memories. Are you ready?'

Harry nodded, not feeling ready, but certain of what he needed to do. Dumbledore raised his wand quickly and said 'Leglimens.'

Harry felt the familiar feeling as his consciousness started to fade and old memories from his days with the Dursleys started to swirl around his head. He could hear the gruntings of his aunt Marge insulting his parents, Dudley and Piers beating him up in the park, being locked in the cupboard under the stairs. Suddenly Harry heard his parents' voices. His father telling Lily to save him, and then he heard his mother's dying scream before everything went black.

Harry opened his eyes to find Dumbledore standing over him where he had collapsed on the floor. Feeling extremely weak and slightly embarrassed, Harry stood back up and stared at Dumbledore.

'You put up little to no resistance Harry. Have you not been training?' He did not look angry, but perhaps disconcerted.

'Yes I have sir, but I was simply caught off guard,' Harry offered his excuse to the headmaster.

'Just as Voldemort would do it,' Dumbledore said casually before lifting his wand quickly and starting again.

Just as before, Harry was caught off guard, and images of his life started to roam around his mind. Aunt Petunia ignoring him completely on his fifth birthday, the kids at school calling him a freak because of his scar, Hermione petrified. The images started to become more recent as they ran through his Hogwarts years. Ginny's pale face suddenly filled his mind in the Chamber of Secrets, Cedric Diggory's lifeless body took it's place, followed by the ragged form of James Potter at the base of the divination tower as he screamed in pain while a clawed hand wrapped around his leg.

Harry could feel hot tears running down his cheeks as he watched these images go by. Finally the image Harry had been dreading appeared; he was in a damp dark cave and Voldemort's voice echoed loudly in his head. Harry lifted his wand to attack the dark wizard, but before the scene could play out Harry screamed as loud as he possibly could, 'NOOOOO!'

Pain he could only associate with the Cruciatus curse filled his brain as he struggled to open his eyes and found to his shock that Dumbledore was on his knees holding the sides of his head in what looked like pain.

'Professor!' Harry cried as he rushed to aid the old wizard. 'Professor Dumbledore!' he cried loudly once more, reaching out to shake the professor's shoulder.

Dumbledore's eyes flew open and he stared up at the student in front of him oddly. Slowly he stood up and continued to look at Harry with interest, a question clearly forming behind his pensive blue eyes.

'Are you alright Professor? I didn't mean to hurt you,' Harry started to appologise.

'No worries Harry,' Dumbledore said with his normally thin smile. 'Apparently you have been practicing. Although you will need to react quicker, I do think Voldemort will be surprised if he tries to invade your mind again.'

Harry let out a breath of relief when he saw the regular glint in Dumbledore's eyes return, telling him that everything was alright.

'Now, before you go Harry, have you had any more dreams lately, concerning Voldemort or Peter Pettigrew?'

Harry thought for a moment. Had Dumbledore not seen the image of him in the cave? Is it possible that he did not hear Voldemort's chilling voice, or the wretched information it was spewing?

'Uh, no professor, not lately,' Harry lied convincingly.

Dumbledore gave him another pensive glance before dismissing him. 'Do keep on practicing Harry, and we'll meet again next Tuesday.'

Extremely relieved that he had gotten away without punishment, Harry decided that the only way to keep his secret for another week would be to practice the art of Occlumency daily and as often as he could. Just one more thing to add to his list, he thought.

Suddenly there was a shout and Harry collided with something or someone, causing him to fall on his rear.

'Neville, are you alright?' Harry asked, quickly sitting up to see if his friend needed help.

The blond boy lay on his back, a shocked expression on his face with books, parchment and quills strewn on the floor all around him. For a moment Neville looked at him dazed, and then they both broke into hysterical laughter, loud enough to wake the entire castle and undoubtedly bring Filch to them. They continued to laugh loudly as they collected Neville's things and started to repack them into his knapsack.

Just as they stood to leave a long shadow stretched down the hallway and when the boys looked up, they found a very somber looking professor McGonagall looking down at them. She said nothing but just pointed with one outstretched finger in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Getting the message and not wanting to lose any house points, Neville and Harry both gave courteous nods and sprinted down the corridor grinning madly.

The next morning, Harry opened his eyes feeling very well rested and not remembering a single dream from the night before. Apparently his practice with Dumbledore had really cleared his mind. He got out of bed and dressed as he noticed Neville and Dean doing the same.

Walking over to Ron's four-poster, he pulled the corner of the hangings open to ensure that no one else would see if he was still missing. Ron's bed lay perfectly made in the shade of the hangings, his pillow still looking as crisp as it had been the night before. Harry wasn't sure what to do. Was Ron alright or had he wandered into the forest during the night? He walked over to the window and peered toward the gloomy wall of trees across the grounds.

The sun was shining brightly this morning as it slowly made its way above the dark forest. Only a couple of clouds blotched the bright blue sky, something lost on Harry, as he was too concerned for his best friend. Turning around to go after him, Harry's heart almost stopped when he ran smack into Ron.

'You should watch where you're going Harry,' Ron said teasingly with a smile on his face. Harry was about to retort with a nasty comment on his inconsideration, when he realized that Ron was smiling. He no longer looked depressed or embarrassed, but like the genuinely happy Ron he was used to.

'Why do you look so happy?' Harry said raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

'No reason. We should go to breakfast,' Ron said dismissingly to the question and reached out a hand to pull Harry off the floor.

When all of the sixth year boys were ready to go they started to walk out of the dormitory and down toward the common room where they could meet up with Hermione, Ginny, Parvati and Lavender. On his way out though, Harry paused when he noticed an equally nicely made bed where it was evident Marc had not spent the night.

He followed his friends to the armchairs in front of the Gryffindor fire and thought to himself about where the young boy could have gone, until Ginny's voice interrupted his thoughts causing him to whirl around toward her.

'What did you say?' he asked her.

'I said today would be the perfect day for flying. We should hold try-outs.'

Harry suddenly grinned from ear to ear remembering what he still had yet to tell the youngest Weasley boy.

'Actually that would be great,' Ron agreed.

'Yeah it would,' Harry started, noticing all of the eager Gryffindors listening to him, 'but try-outs are already set for Friday.'

'What are you talking about?' Katie asked, having just walked into the room from her dormitory, pinning her Head Girl badge to the front of her robes and now looking puzzled, 'By who?'

'McGonagall told me last night.'

'Great!' Katie shouted excitedly, 'And I assume she'll announce the new captain after she holds the try-outs.'

'Actually, the new captain will be the one scheduling the try-out,' he answered cooly, trying his best not to grin.

Ron looked at him for a second and then patted him on the back. 'Way to go Harry, you'll do great.'

'Thanks Ron, but I can't do anything until you tell us when we're having try-outs.'

A moment of confused silence followed Harry's statement, and then Ron was jumped by everyone around him, all of them shouting their congratulations. When people finally backed away slightly, Harry could see an embarrassed look on his red face. Then Harry noticed that Hermione was hanging around his neck in a tight hug.

'Way to go Ron, you deserve it.'

'Thanks Harry, but I was sure it would be you.'

'Nah, you're the one who knows Quidditch inside and out. All I know is Seeking.'

'You'll be great,' Katie agreed, 'but if you turn into Oliver I swear you won't live until the first match.'

Everyone started to laugh as they made their way out of the common room and down to the Great Hall, while Ron spoke of what new plays he might include for the season. The Gryffindors all sat down at their table, most of them still speaking excitedly about the good news when the post owls began to swoop into the hall.

Harry ate a huge breakfast of bacon and eggs and watched in surprise as, for the second time since they had been at Hogwarts, Ron barely ate a thing. The first time was of course the morning before his first Quidditch match. Today he was too busy planning out his first day as team captain and what he would have the new players do at try-outs to prove themselves. Harry just laughed to himself as he ate.

He was surprised when halfway through the meal he was tapped on the shoulder by Lavender Brown. 'Here Harry, this came for you with a letter from my cousin. I didn't know you two were friends?' she said politely before walking back to her seat next to Parvati, who this morning was looking slightly less upset.

At first Harry wasn't sure what she had meant, but then remembered that her cousin was Maria. He tore open the simple Muggle envelope to find a short letter from his cousin written in ballpoint pen.

_Harry,_

_How are you? I hope your first week has been going well. Things sure are great here. Maria and I are going on a date Friday night. I kept on running every morning after I left you know where, and now one of the teachers at the school is letting me run around the grounds in the morning before classes. There's a whole bunch of us doing it now. Well, I had better keep this short so, I hope things are alright and I'll talk to you again soon. Write when you can,_

_Dudley_

Harry put the letter away in his robes pocket and smiled. He had forgotten that he was to write to Dudley. At least if anything important occurred he knew that Dudley could reach him using Lavender's owl. He wondered how often she wrote to Maria.

His thoughts were interrupted when the Headmaster stood to make an announcement and silence fell over the entire hall. Everyone watched as professor McGonagall emerged from the anti-chamber behind the staff table once again carrying an old wooden stool bearing the worn and tattered sorting hat.

A hushed whisper raced around the hall as all of students discussed what they were seeing. This was new. Hogwarts had never received new students after the term had begun, and they were all curious as to why it would start now.

'I have a brief announcement,' Dumbledore began. 'I am glad to announce that our Care of Magical Creatures professor has returned and that we will be gaining both a new first year student and a new professor.'

Everyone started to whisper again, this time more loudly than before, clearly not worried about what the Headmaster might do.

'Our new student will be joining us late from Europe and our new professor as well. I am sure you will all greet them warmly and ensure their feeling welcome in the castle.

The hall doors swung open and the students watched as Hagrid loomed in, looking happier than they had ever seen him. He waved over at the Gryffindor table as he passed it, and it was not until he reached the front of the room that everyone noticed there was a small girl walking behind him. There were several gasps from the house tables when they saw her.

She stood quietly next to the staff table, her straight white blonde hair flowing down her back and her chin held high. Harry couldn't help but stare at the young girl as though he had met her before. He also noticed several of the other males in the room watching her intently, as though unable to look away.

He continued to stare until her piercing blue eyes met his and she smiled and waved excitedly at him. He waved back at the tiny girl, trying to remember from where he knew her, but was pulled away from his thoughts as the new professor joined the room.

A taller girl, looking no older than twenty walked into the room gracefully, pulling down her hood and letting her long blonde hair spill gracefully onto her shining silver robes. Now Harry gasped. If every male was not staring at the tiny girl, they were most definitely gawking at the older version now walking between the tables.

Halfway through the room she turned to the Gryffindor table and waved, 'allo 'arry,' before continuing to the staff table and taking a new seat between professors Sprout and Flitwick.

'This is professor Flitwick's new teaching assistant, and your new professor. Many of our older students may remember her as one of the Tri-Wizard Tournament champions two years ago. A warm hand for Professor Fleur Delacour.' Everyone applauded loudly for the young woman in front of them.

'And now we will sort our new student,' he said before sitting back down.

'Delacour, Gabrielle,' McGonagall said loudly and waited for the young girl to take her seat on the bench.

The sorting hat was placed on her head and everyone watched, waiting to hear what house she would join. A moment later the hat's voice filled the air with 'Gryffindor!' and the table exploded with cheers as the tiny girl rushed over to join her new housemates. She plopped right down next to Harry and smiled warmly at him before giving him a small hug.

''ow are you 'arry' she said still smiling.

'I'm great thanks,' he answered, smiling back at the small girl that he had rescued from the Merpeople in the lake two years earlier. 'You've grown so much,' he added, 'I barely recognized you.'

'So 'ave you,' she said blushing, before turning to Hermione and saying hello.

Hermione, having also been rescued during the tri-wizard tournament, remembered Gabrielle and instantly started asking her questions about where she lived and why she wasn't attending Beauxbatons like her sister had. Gabrielle told them all about her life in France, but every time Hermione mentioned Beauxbatons she told her that it was not important.

The day seemed to fly by, as first they attended their first ever lesson with Fleur and learned some of the Charms taught at Beauxbatons, before going on to transfiguration, potions, and care of magical creatures. Even Defense Against the Dark Arts was relatively uneventful, provided professor Black destroying and reassigning Harry's essay was not an event. Snape was unusually civil toward him, placing Harry on edge for the rest of day, constantly looking over his shoulder and wondering when he would be attacked.

Gabrielle seemed to be fitting in with the other first year girls and Marc had returned that day after lunch. When questioned about his whereabouts he simply told them that he was visiting with his aunt in St. Mungos and Harry felt foolish for thinking that there was more to it. Harry had his second meeting with McGonagall that night and then practiced his Occlumency before going to bed. It looked like things were finally normal at Hogwarts.

The next day was very much the same, speeding by and leaving Harry with yet another essay assignment. He would know about the entire world's Unforgivables by the end of next week he decided.

Finally Friday's lessons were done for the day and Harry could not wait to get to the Quidditch pitch. Ron had decided on four o'clock for the try-outs and had posted a sign up sheet on the Gryffindors notice board. Harry ran up to his dormitory to get his Firebolt from under his four-poster before meeting Ginny and Katie in the entrance hall, both of them also carrying broomsticks.

'It's a great day for flying,' Katie commented as they made their way across the grounds and toward the pitch to meet their captain.

'Yeah, it's perfect,' Ginny agreed, tilting her head up to the sky so that the shining sun bathed her face in warmth.

'How long has Ron been out here?' Katie asked Harry, knowing that he would know.

'An hour and a half. McGonagall gave him a note to excuse him half an hour early. I guess she really wants a great team this year.' They all laughed as they walked onto the freshly cut grass below the spectator stands and toward Ron who was now dragging the Quidditch trunk across the field toward them.

'Are you guys ready?' he asked them as soon as they were within hearing distance.

'Of course,' Harry answered for them and grinned at his best friend who looked more than slightly excited.

'Well, there are nine people coming for tryouts, so they should be here soon.'

Over the next few minutes groups of students started to make their way to the side of the pitch, some of them there to tryout and others there to offer support or simply for something to do. Finally Ron stepped forward and decided to start the tryout.

'Alright. Welcome to everyone who showed up to tryout for the Gryffindor team. Unfortunately I won't be able to pick you all, so good luck to each of you. We will be doing air sessions by tryout groups. We'll start with the beaters and then go on to the chasers. As I am keeper, Harry is seeker and Katie and Ginny are chasers, we will only require two beaters and a chaser. So beaters first, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan mount your brooms.'

Ron explained to the boys that they were to try and stop Katie and Ginny from scoring. Just as the previous year's tryouts Dean was quite abysmal, but it seemed that Seamus had improved significantly. Parvati and Lavender cheered them on from the sidelines and waited for them to finish. It appeared that Parvati had forgiven Dean.

After about ten minutes of hit and miss between the pair, and after seven attempts at a goal, all saved by Ron, the team set back down on the ground for the next set. This time it was Dennis Creevey and Marc Evans. Just like the pair before them, Dennis was quite incapable of hitting anything in the direction he wanted it to go, resulting in several moments of confusion when the bludgers would disappear from the pitch. Marc on the other hand was quite good, and Harry wondered if he had perhaps played at Durmstrang.

Next a pair of second years went and both were even worse than Dennis Creevey, a feat Harry thought impossible to accomplish. Parvati and Lavender were now both sniggering in their seats rudely. Ron, seeing this, asked the girls if they could do any better.

'You wouldn't catch me dead playing Quidditch, Ronald,' Lavender said haughtily before giggling with Parvati.

Ron told the students that he would have to discuss what he had seen with his teammates before making any decisions. They all agreed that Seamus and Marc were clearly the best choice but that they would need to see them in the air together. Ron had them go up and just as they had expected, the pair worked wonderfully together. Harry decided that it was probably the only thing that Dean and Seamus were better at apart.

Ron next announced the chaser tryouts and first to fly with Ginny and Katie was Dean's sister Jamaica. Her chaser abilities made Dean look like a professional Quidditch player, and that was saying a lot.

Next up was Collin Creevey, who admittedly was better than his brother, but that was not saying much.

Finally the last student, a rather large fourth year, mounted his broom and raced up for his turn. Unfortunately, he dropped the quaffle nine of the ten times it was passed to him and then on his way back down to the pitch he fell off his broom before landing. Ron groaned as discussed his options with the team.

'What can I do? We have to pick one of them, or the team will forfeit for the year and I refuse to sit back and watch Slytherin take the cup.'

'Well, I think Creevey was the best,' Ginny offered her fellow Prefect's name honestly, 'I guess we'll just have to practice a lot.'

'I suppose you're right,' Ron agreed glumly as they all walked back to the small group awaiting their decision.

'It was a very difficult decision to make, and I would like to-'

'Of course it was difficult,' Parvati interrupted him rudely, 'You had to decide which terrible player would help you give the cup to Slytherin.' She and Lavender both laughed loudly at this. Everyone around them gave murderous glares, but no one more than Ron.

'That is it!' he shouted at her, pushing past Harry and up toward her, 'You Parvati, are the most self-absorbed and rudest person I have ever met. Not only did you completely embarrass me in front of the entire Gryffindor common room the other night, but you didn't even appologise. Now you're poking fun at a game that you don't even have the guts to try, and worst of all you're insulting the people that do. Why don't you just leave,' he shouted louder than ever before turning around and walking back to Harry, Ginny and Katie.

'You know what Ron!' Parvati said, standing up stiffly. 'Let's go, right now, you and me in the air.'

'What?' Ron said confused, 'You don't even have a broom.'

'Accio broom,' she shouted and Harry's Firebolt whipped out of his hand and into her tight grasp. Before he could even protest she had swung her leg over the edge and kicked off hard. Ron, completely taken aback, kicked off as well and watched as Katie followed them up with the quaffle.

Ron hovered in front of the central hoop and waited for Parvati to undoubtedly drop the quaffle when it was passed to her. Katie threw the ball toward the dark-haired girl and everyone watched in surprise as she lunged forward on the broomstick to meet it and rushed toward the keeper. She flew low and circled the hoops quickly, before coming up on Ron's left and throwing the quaffle half-heartedly toward the right hoop.

Ron gave a small laugh at the attempt and reached a hand out for it, but before he could Parvati had burst forward and snatched it back again. She looped quickly around him and sent it sailing trough the middle hoop.

Everyone on the pitch below stood silently gaping at what they had just seen. The only person to be heard was Lavender, who was cheering for her best friend as she flew down and dismounted the Firebolt.

'Thanks Potter,' she said as she smiled at Harry and handed him his broom back. 'Good game Weasley, now let's go Lavender, I have to fix my hair.'

The whole team watched in silence as Parvati and Lavender walked back up to the castle discussing how they would do their hair, as though one of them had not just made a phenomenal shot in Quidditch moments before.

Students gathered around the common room notice board the next morning to see who had made the team. The first to reach it were Dean and Seamus. Seamus gave a loud whoop of excitement before noticing that his best friend had not been placed as his fellow beater, or anywhere. Dean looked as though he might cry.

'Sorry mate, but the little one out-flew you,' Ron said to him consolingly and placed a hand on his shoulder, 'but we're still alright, right?'

'Of course,' Dean answered him with a grin, 'but I had to at least make you feel guilty.' He ducked to avoid Ron's swing at his head. The two continued to wrestle around while Marc came down to check and find his name under the other beater slot.

'Thank-you to everyone who tried out, and I hope you'll try again next time,' Ron finally said to everyone around from where his head was locked under Dean's arm.

The students all started to go down for breakfast when Hermione, Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati came strolling down the stairs to join them. Parvati glanced at the boys for a moment, each of whom was staring expectantly at her.

'Well, come on, are we going to eat or not. I'm sorry I embarrassed you on the pitch yesterday Weasley. Now will you let it go?' Ron stared incredulous at her.

'Are you even going to look at the try-out results?' he cried at her.

'What does it matter? Everyone who tried out played miserably.'

'Not everyone,' Ginny said quietly.

Parvati walked across the round room and stared at Ron's notice for a moment before laughing loudly and starting toward the exit. 'Good one Weasley, very funny. Come on Lavender, I'm hungry.' Both the girls started to walk out of the common room when Ron blocked the porthole.

'It's not a joke. You're our new chaser. Those were some great moves out there yesterday,' he forced himself to say through gritted teeth, while Parvati smirked at his effort.

'Either way, I don't play sports. You'll have to find someone else.'

Ron sighed deeply, 'There is no one else. We need you Parvati; I need you ... on the team.' He blushed at what he had said.

'I'll think about it,' Parvati said, before turning to Lavender so they could go.

'I think you should do it,' Lavender said unexpectedly, 'Remember what professor Trelawney said, 'Your Hogwarts experience will reach new heights'. Maybe this is what she meant.'

Hermione snorted in the background, but sobered up when Harry gave her a warning glance. Parvati looked around at all of the expectant faces before sighing and giving in.

'Alright, but if I don't like it I'm quitting.'

'Great!' Ron said and moved out of the way so that the girls could go down to breakfast.

The rest of the evening sped by, filled with laughter and general happiness as the Gryffindors relaxed in the common room playing whatever games tickled their fancies. Ron and Harry had brought a couple of third years with them to collect treats from the kitchen, all of which were gladly handed over by the house elves. Hermione of course did not participate in the festivities, but rather read ahead in her Ancient Runes textbook and gave haughty sighs and pointed glares at anyone who dared interrupt her.

'Just because you have a new Quidditch team does not mean you can ignore your studies Ron,' she said from behind a large stack of texts and parchments. 'You'll actually have to work even harder to balance your schedule now, what with practices, and our weekly prefects meeting.'

'Prefects meetings!' Ron suddenly looked up from his chess game with Neville, 'Dumbledore didn't say anything about meetings.'

'It was in your Hogwarts letter Ron, and you would have seen it if you bothered to read it instead of just tearing out the booklist,' she chided him with a disapproving face. 'The first one is Sunday at lunch time,' she added before returning to her text.

'Was that in the letter too?' Ron said sarcastically and taking a sip of pumpkin juice that had come upstairs along with the other treats.

'No, Katie told me this morning before classes,' she said coldly to the freckled boy, 'and then Roger reminded me this afternoon,' she added quietly.

'Roger?' Ron said loudly, slurping some of his juice down the front of his robes. Harry and a few people around them laughed at him, and Ron tried to pretend he hadn't embarrassed himself. 'So, you were with Roger today then?' he asked nonchalantly, not looking toward Hermione, but instead inspecting the chess board with what looked like great curiosity.

'No,' she replied just as casually, 'I ran into him in the hallway. Is that alright Ron?' she asked him with a tone as though daring him to question her further.

'Absolutely Hermione. Why would I care who you run into.' With that Ron stood and started toward the staircase to the dormitories. 'Well I have a big day of planning for our next couple of practices so I'm going to turn in.' He said goodnight to all those sitting around him but made a point to not look at Hermione.

'Good night Ron,' Harry said and shook his head as he watched him go up the stairs loudly, mumbling under his breath about the pompous Head Boy. 'Here they go again,' he whispered to himself as he started to clean up the game.

That night in bed, Harry lay awake, unable to clear his mind of all the new events that would take place this year. In three weeks would be the first Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, and Harry wasn't looking forward to playing against their seeker. He still felt badly about the way things had gone with Cho, but it seemed from his encounter with her on the first night of term, she might have gotten over it.

His thoughts changed to his animagus training, which finally was getting interesting, and then suddenly to his Occlumency lesson with Dumbledore. It had been such a close call. If Dumbledore had seen what Harry had done in that nightmare, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts and possibly put on trial once more. He couldn't let that happen again.

Harry's eyes finally drifted closed as his mind changed gears and found itself focusing on Ginny Weasley. He watched from behind closed lids as Ginny flew through the air on her broomstick, passing the quaffle back and forth with the other members of the Gryffindor team, while he hovered above, supposed to be looking for the snitch. She smiled and laughed as the practice went on and Harry decided that there was no more denying it; he thought Ginny could be more than a friend.

The practice came to an end and everyone made their way back to the common room. Harry followed from the rear and noticed that Ginny left the pack and headed down toward the dungeons.

Interested by the strange behaviour, he followed her through the shady passageways until he saw her disappear into one of the old dungeons no longer used in the castle. Harry walked up to the door but stopped abruptly when he heard a girl's voice talking to a familiar sounding male voice.

'You'll need help with that potion then won't you?'

'I think I can manage,' the male voice said shortly. 'And if I did I wouldn't ask a Gryffindor.'

He listened in on their conversation about a particular growth potion when it hit him who the voice belonged to. Looking around the corner to verify his prediction, Harry almost shouted when he saw the red-haired girl talking to Snape.

The only problem was that Ginny was no longer Ginny, but Lily Evans, and Snape was not professor Snape, but sixteen-year-old Severus Snape. Harry's mind started to spin as he leaned back on the wall to try and understand what was happening, the cold feeling of the stones on his back somewhat soothing. Did Lily need help? Would he jinx her or harm her at all?

Taking a deep breath he peered back into the room and found to his shock that his mother was not being insulted by the greasy Slytherin, but hugged.

A/N So what did you think? Please let me know. It only takes a few seconds to make my day! Thanks for reading


	11. The Informants

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Chapter 11: The Informants

The next morning Harry woke up before any of the other boys in his dormitory, quietly clothed himself and grabbed some ink, parchment and a quill before going down to the common room. Upon entering the still room, Harry found that he was the first to wake in any dormitory and saw that the fire in the grate was now reduced to glowing embers.

He started toward his favorite armchair with the intention of writing a letter to Lupin when he saw something moving in front of the grate.

'Winky!' he said loudly and watched as the surprised house elf nearly jumped out of her clothing.

'Harry Potter!' she shrieked, 'Sir is not supposed to be awake yet. Not until Winky has finished cleaning the common room and starting the fire.' She continued to splutter the injustice of Harry's being awake while he rolled his eyes and sat down in the armchair.

'I'm sorry Winky, but I'm up now and I'm not going back up to bed. You'll just have to finish with me here.'

Winky huffed loudly as she continued to light the fire and dust the tables and paintings around the room. Harry could hear her mumbling about the secrecy rules as he unrolled a bit of parchment to start his letter to Lupin.

_Remus,_

_I hope everything is going well for you. So far the new term has been an interesting one. Ron's the newQuidditch captain and I'm back on the team! I can't wait to win the cup away from Slytherin again. Wehave a new Defense professor, but she's not even close to as good as you. Professor Black is almostworse than Snape so I'm sure you can imagine how bad that must be. Fleur Delacour and her sisterGabrielle are back at Hogwarts this year and Hagrid just got back too. Well, I guess that's reallyeverything, so I can't wait to see you at Christmas andtake care._

_P.S. I really miss our training shifts, _

_Harry_

He finished his letter, wishing that he could tell Lupin about the disturbing dream he had had the night before. He wanted nothing more than to question him about all he knew about his parents, but decided that it would be too risky because Lupin would be curious as to where the sudden interest arose.

Putting the odd dream to the back of his mind, Harry called a goodbye to Winky as he walked out of the common room, and when she did not answer he assumed that she had finished her work and slipped out while he wrote.

Harry made his way to the third floor landing and waited patiently while speaking to the portrait of an elderly witch for the staircase leading to the next landing to make its way over. After sending his letter off to Lupin from the owlery, Harry decided that he might not be able to ask Lupin about his parents without raising suspicion, but that there was a professor that might be able to help him, having taught them both.

Harry made his way through the silent castle slowly, looking around at all of the different portraits and hangings, most of their inhabitants still fast asleep on a Saturday morning. He descended to the second floor and stopped in front of the large mirror guarding the secret passage to inspect himself before going on. Once outside McGonagall's office, he knocked loudly and waited for her to respond, hoping that she was not too busy grading papers to help him.

'Come in,' her crisp voice called through the door.

Harry pushed the door open to reveal his Transfiguration professor sitting behind her desk with yet another stack of parchments, and looking as though she had not moved from the spot since their last training session two nights before.

'Good morning professor.'

'Potter?' she said surprised as she looked up from her grading. 'What are you doing out of bed so early on a Saturday morning? It's not even half past seven.'

'I couldn't sleep anymore, so I thought I would come and see you. I need to ask you a question professor, if you have time.'

'Very well Potter, what is it?' McGonagall said in her usual Head of House tone as she looked across her desk at him.

Harry stood, suddenly looking quite uncomfortable, rocking his weight from one foot to the next. 'I was just wondering if you could tell me a bit about my parents while they were at Hogwarts. I mean, they were both in your house right?'

McGonagall narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before her expression softened and Harry could tell that she was feeling badly for him. He tried not to look bothered by this as he wanted some answers and he knew that bristling would get him nowhere.

'Well Potter, as you already know, your father was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and there wasn't a soul who could catch the snitch quicker than James. I'm sure it's where you get your talents,' she said to him smiling, clearly remembering her all-star player.

'Sorry to interrupt professor, but I was actually hoping you could tell me about my mother. I've heard so much about my father and the Marauders from professor Lupin and Si-' Harry paused for a moment, 'But I've barely recovered anything about her except that she was Head Girl. Aunt Petunia refuses to talk about her so I would really like to know what my mother was like when she was younger.'

Almost every line of sternness was now gone from McGonagall's face as she stared at the sixteen-year-old boy in front of her. He had lost so much and been through more than any child should have. She wished she could do more to help him but at least she could give him this much.

'Alright Potter,' she agreed, 'I will tell you everything you wish to know about Lily if you agree to a training session first. I have a couple of hours, and I think it would be beneficial. It is after all the weekend.'

Harry smiled widely at her while shaking his head, 'I should have known that the cost would be some sort of assignment.'

'Yes, you should have.'

For the next hour Harry practiced his mind-clearing exercises with his Animagi professor, and found that he was getting quite good at instantly wiping his mind clear of all thought; Something he thought would be useful for his sessions with Dumbledore. Finally McGonagall got up from her desk and told him that it was time for the physical training.

'Show me the same thing we did at the last two meetings,' she commanded.

Harry closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He pictured himself clearly in his mind now, singling out a particular feature like he had with Tonks during the summer. He pictured his feet and focused hard on what they would look like if they were the hooves he had seen chasing away the basilisk. Harry concentrated hard and willed the transformation until he could no longer stand upright.

Falling to the floor, he opened his eyes to see a pair of enormous, shining, black hooves in the place where his feet should be. He looked up at McGonagall who looked very pleased with his results and then closed his eyes once more. This time he pictured his hands, and once again overset the image of the hooves. Moments later, he found himself the owner of four spectacular Mustang hooves.

Another hour passed and Harry found himself transforming his body parts, one at a time, to Mustang features and then back again. By the end of the session he had successfully transformed hooves, ears and a long whip-like tail.

'You are making remarkable progress, Potter,' McGonagall said to him as they sat back down at her desk, Harry in a newly conjured armchair. 'It took me two months before I could transfigure a tail, but it has taken you less than a week. At this rate, I daresay you will complete the transformation by the end of October, creating what would have been a new record time for the animagus transformation. Unfortunately we cannot tell anyone until after, well you know what I mean. It must be kept secret, or it will be of little advantage to you later on.'

'Yes professor, I understand.'

'Very well, you have done your part of the deal so now I will honor mine. You may ask whatever you wish about your mother.'

Harry thought for a moment about what he should ask first. There were so many questions he had about her, but how could he ask them without arousing suspicion. 'What was she like at my age?' he finally asked.

It was McGonagall's turn to think for a moment as she chose the words to explain her old pupil's demeanor.

'Lily was a very shy first year you see. Nothing like the way she ended up being in her sixth year. She would always keep to herself and minded her studies much like Miss Granger actually. She also had the same opinions on school rules as Miss Granger, except that she did actually abide by them,' she added with a raised eyebrow. 'Lily was the kindest girl to ever come to Hogwarts and there wasn't a Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff who would argue that fact.

'It sounds as though she was perfect,' Harry said, slightly unconvinced, 'she can't have always followed the rules.'

'You didn't let me finish Harry. I said she was like that in her first couple of years. Then in her third year she was introduced to the Marauders and upon meeting James, formed an immediate dislike for the group. James was everything she despised in a person, exhibiting arrogance and teasing those less fortunate than he was.'

Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably in his chair as he thought of the memories he had seen in Snape's pensieve.

'It was then that the teachers say Lily became more outspoken and opinionated, but if you ask me she always had been but just kept it to herself. After meeting James she started to watch out for all of the other Gryffindors, and even some of the students form other houses. It truly was a vision to see Lily in the throws of a heated argument with anyone. That red hair of hers really did carry her temperament. She refused to back down and nearly always won. She really was a remarkable girl.' McGonagall smiled sadly as she said this.

'Professor,' Harry took her moment of silence to ask another question, 'I understand that my mother and father did not fall in love until their seventh year when they were Heads together.'

'Yes, that's right.'

'Then why did you say things changed when she was in sixth year?' Harry asked, thinking of what she had told him after his first question.

'You see Harry, when she was in fifth year she was made Prefect alongside Remus Lupin, and as you know he was one of the Marauders, and a very persuasive and intelligent young man. They became good friends almost instantly, and to be honest, it was quite funny to see Remus defending James and Sirius to Lily. It took him a long time but by their sixth year Lily didn't exactly hate James anymore, but she definitely didn't like him either. She and the Marauders seemed to put up with each other, and she seemed to get sucked into several of their schemes. I am once again thinking of Miss Granger.'

'Why did she get chosen as Head Girl then?' Harry asked now. 'I mean, didn't Dumbledore know she was involved in some of the schemes?'

'Of course he did, but you're forgetting that the Headmaster also made James Head Boy, and he was more often than not the mastermind behind the rule-breaking ploys.' She shook her head and rolled her eyes with a small snort. 'I'm not actually certain how the headmaster chooses his Heads, but I have to assume that Lily and James were chosen for their brilliance with a wand; James in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms, and Lily in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Potions. You see Harry, your mother was the most brilliant student in Potions to ever pass through Hogwarts and she adored it.'

'I thought that professor Snape held that position,' Harry said darkly.

McGonagall looked up at him for a moment in thought. 'Professor Snape is very talented as our Potions Master Harry, but next to your mother there is no comparison.'

'Were she and Snape ever friends?' he finally ventured to ask what he had wanted to learn.

Professor McGonagall looked away again in thought before answering him. 'I know I told you I would tell you anything you asked, but I have to respect the Potion Master's privacy Harry. All I can say is that they did get along in their sixth year for a while.'

Harry sighed. He had learned a lot about his mother, but not the one thing he wished to know. 'Thank you professor, you really helped me to understand what my mother was like. I can't thank you enough.'

'It was my pleasure Potter,' she said, now having returned to her normal rigid self. 'I see a lot of her in you Potter, and that alone is something to be proud of. I will see you again on Monday night then for our next session.'

Harry left the office content with the information he had gained about his mother, who sounded like a very wonderful person indeed. It didn't make up for what he had seen of his father, but it was a start.

Wandering around the castle, Harry found several other students had now woken up and were heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Deciding that he too was hungry, he started to follow them. Upon entering the hall, he found that about half the school was still in bed, and that only Katie, Ginny, Gabrielle, and Dennis Creevey were sitting at the Gryffindor table. He joined his housemates and started to spoon some oatmeal into a bowl as he said his goodmornings.

The five students laughed and joked for a while as they ate, and Harry laughed inwardly when he noticed how unenergetic Dennis was in the morning. 'Someone's stolen your batteries Dennis?' he joked, and everyone laughed as the smaller boy swung at him half-heartedly.

Harry looked up at the staff table and noted that the majority of professors were now there as well as most of the other students. He was watching intently as Snape and Professor Black discussed what looked like an article in the Daily Prophet, when Ron, Hermione, Neville and Marc plopped down at the table.

'So, what are we going to do today then?' Ron asked as he filled a plate with whatever food he could reach in front of him.

Hermione answered first, explaining that like her, they should all complete their Charms and Transfiguration essays before even considering any other sort of activity. Ron snorted loudly.

'Right Hermione, and then maybe I'll sprout wings and fly around the Astronomy tower too.' Hermione glared at him.

'Fine. See if I care when you fail all of your N.E.W.T's next year.' They didn't speak to one another for the rest of breakfast, and Harry sat silently watching the interaction between professors Snape and Black.

At the end of the meal, Harry excused himself from the group as they left the Great Hall, explaining that he still had one last detention to serve with Snape and that he offered to do it on the weekend so not to miss any Quidditch practices. Ron nodded exuberantly and slapped him on the back in approval as they walked back up toward the common room.

Harry stayed in the loud entrance hall and waited for most of the students to disperse before turning and heading in the direction he wished. Unlike all the other times he had used the 'detention with Snape excuse', he was not going to see McGonagall or Dumbledore, but actually going to speak with professor Snape. This would be the first time in six year that Harry elected to speak to the greasy Slytherin Head by choice and shivered involuntarily as he descended into the cold passageway to his dungeon office.

He paused briefly across from the wall hanging of the black serpent, in front of which he had witnessed Snape and Black having a secret meeting about him. Pushing that out of his mind he tried to decide what he would ask the sallow skinned man and how he could get any information out of him without enraging him and actually getting a detention.

Suddenly it hit him; he knew what he would have to do. He turned the corner in front of him and walked into the Potions dungeon. Looking around, he found the classroom empty as expected and Snape's office door closed tightly. Harry took a deep breath as he crossed the cool room and knocked loudly on the door in front of him.

'Enter,' Snape's cold voice hissed from behind it.

Harry pushed the door open and strode into the dark office, stopping just inside the door when he saw Snape stooped over his desk, working on what looked to Harry like the Wolfsbane potion in disgust.

'What are you doing here Potter,' he spat when he saw who had entered his office.

'Um, professor,' Harry started, remembering to stay calm, 'I wanted to ask you a question, if you have the time.'

'Do I look like I have the time, Potter?' he snarled, adding a light grey solution to the cauldron in front of him. 'Just because other professors have made special allowances for you does not mean that I will.'

'Please professor, I just wanted to ask you about my mother.'

Snape stopped adding items to his cauldron and looked up at Harry with a malicious glare in his eyes. 'Get out of my office,' he said quietly.

'Please professor, all I've ever heard are good things about her, but the way you speak about my father I assume you must have hated my mother equally.'

'You've only heard good things about her, because that's just what she was, a good person. Now I asked you to leave.' He stood up and started toward the door.

Trying one last time, Harry pleaded with the greasy haired man. 'Please professor, I'll do anything. I could help you make that Wolfsbane potion if you want?'

Snape stopped and whirled back toward him and the lightly steaming cauldron. 'How do you know that's Wolfsbane potion?' he asked with narrowed eyes.

'Well it appears to be the right consistency, and the light grey steam swirling clockwise is indicative of either the Wolfsbane potion or the troll tracking solution. And since you just added the silver beetle cream, it has to be the Wolfsbane sir.'

Snape stared at him curiously for a moment, unsure of what to say.

'Very well Potter, you may ask one question, but only because you correctly identified the Wolfsbane.'

'Thank-you professor,' he said politely as he thought of what to ask.

'Well?' Snape said impatiently, now having returned to his seat and stirring the potion.

'Were you and my mother friends?'

Snape gave a short laugh. 'I will just say that your mother had a great affinity for the art of potion making, and for that I held her in great esteem.' He sighed deeply and fixed a glare on Harry before continuing. 'If I find out that you have told what I'm about to say to anyone, I will ensure that your last two years at Hogwarts are the most miserable years of your life.'

Harry nodded nervously.

'Just before she was killed, Lily agreed with Dumbledore to accept the post of Potions Mistress for a year. I only received it when she was unable to,' he looked away from Harry with what looked like sadness, something Harry had never seen him show before. 'Now get out,' he shouted, 'and don't bother me again with such nonsense, or it will be points from Gryffindor and a detention.'

Harry made his way back toward his common room, thinking about what he had learned from his surly professor. Not only was his mother an Auror, but she would have been Hogwarts Potions Mistress aswell. It seemed that she was such a great person that even Severus Snape had nothing negative to say about her.

This made him want to know her more than ever. If only it were possible. With what he knew now, the pictures and memories were not near enough to satisfy him. He wished he could have seen his parents wedding, as it was the one day that seemed to be the happiest in their life. The pictures showed the largest gathering he had ever seen of their friends and members of the original Order of the Phoenix.

From the back of his mind, a thought came to him. In their third year, Hermione had managed to go back in time and take classes that she would have originally missed. Then he had travelled with her further back to save Sirius's life. What if he went back to his parents wedding using a Time Turner?

Harry changed directions and started to rush toward the headmaster's office. Once in front of the large Gargoyle he said 'Fizzing Whizbee' and waited for it to hop out of his way before climbing the spiralling stairs to the round room above.

Once inside the room, Harry found Dumbledore busy scribbling a note to someone at his desk. He sat down across from him and waited patiently while he finished, looking around the familiar room. The sorting hat was mumbling today, odd lines of rhyme that must have been bits of next year's song, and Harry noticed that Fawkes was quite small and young on his perch. He must have recently experienced a burning day.

Looking up at the portraits of previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, most of whom were still fast asleep or at least feigning it, Harry noticed a new one that he had missed the last time he was there. Next to the portrait of Headmaster Dippet was a new empty frame. Under the vacant space was a golden inscription with the name Delores Umbridge. Harry scowled toward the frame.

'Ah, yes,' Dumbledore said, tying his completed letter to Fawkes' leg and letting him out the window, 'you've noticed the new addition to the wall have you. She hasn't spent any time in this frame since the day it was put up. She undoubtedly has another frame at the Ministry of Magic in which to spend her days. Now what can I do for you Harry?' Dumbledore smiled warmly at him, and Harry felt slightly less nervous at seeing the happy crinkles in the corners of his eyes.

'I wanted to ask you for a favor professor. I know it's usually frowned upon, but I was hoping to borrow your Time Turner for an afternoon.'

The happiness in Dumbledore's face vanished and he sat up more straightly.

'I realize that you have been learning about your mother Harry, but you must understand that there is no way to bring her back. I have told you before that Time Turners are not meant to be used for meddling with history. You cannot even begin to imagine the repercussions of what would occur if your parents lived that night.'

'I don't want to save them,' Harry said loudly, annoyed at Dumbledore's assumption, 'I just want to go see their wedding.'

'I'm sorry Harry, but that would be far too risky. You could be seen.'

'I could use my invisibility cloak,' he suggested.

'I'm sorry Harry but the answer is no and I have to ask that you respect my decision and not try to find another way.'

'Yes sir,' Harry answered through gritted teeth as he rose and headed for the door.

Once back in the common room, Harry went up to his dormitory and climbed onto his bed, pulling the hangings tightly shut around it. He lay there for a while thinking about everything that had happened that morning and fumed when he thought of the way Dumbledore had treated him. Even Snape had treated him better, not talking to him as if he was untrustworthy or childish.

Ron came up to the dormitory a couple of hours later looking for him so that they could go down to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry told his best friend that he wasn't feeling all that great and that he was going to stay in bed for the rest of the day. At first Ron protested, but when Harry told him that if he joined the others they might get sick and be unable to play Quidditch, he immediately agreed to leave him and left hastily while covering his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his jumper.

While everyone was away doing whatever it was they did, Harry lay in his bed reading his animagus training text and made sure to memorize helpful tips and useful methods of speeding up the process. Passage by passage he read the yellowing pages and absorbed the knowledge found within them.

When he had completely finished reading that, he moved on to his Defense text and flipped through it lazily, finding that he was not so interested in the subject this year and blaming it on his new professor. He read more carefully when he reached the section on cursing and hexing, and took the time to learn several of the wand movements involved. He found most of them quite simple after all the training he had done with Lupin.

By ten o'clock that night he had read through all of his textbooks and learned all he wanted to from them that he had not yet read during the summer, and was completely out of material. Ron had only interrupted him once to bring him a small tray of dinner that he was able to sneak back with him.

Now Harry lay on his back with his eyes close, thinking of how his term was going thus far. Considering the previous years he decided that things could be far worse and that he should not complain or else they might be. He replayed the several conversations he had had that day concerning his mother, and his eyes flew open when he realized what he had actually learned.

Of all the information he had gathered, the advice the Headmaster had given him had been the most useful. By telling him not to try and find another way of seeing his mother, he clearly expressed that it could be done. Harry smiled. He would just have to find out how.

Moments later Harry was creeping down the second floor corridor under his invisibility cloak, toward the hanging of the badger that he knew led to the library entrance. He had quietly slipped through the common room, toting the Marauder's Map, without being detected by any of his friends.

Most of them were grouped around the fireplace listening to Dean tell a story about the time his granddad fought off a Troll, but Hermione was sitting in her usual spot under the window working away feverishly at her Charms assignment.

As he walked down the silent corridors, he checked the map for any signs of professors patrolling the hallways for students out of bed and found that only professor Sprout was out that night, and she was all the way on the other side of the castle for the time being.

Harry looked for the tiny speck labelled Filch and was surprised to see that it was nowhere to be found. Filch apparently was not in the castle tonight. Harry tried to think of the last time he had seen Filch and was bothered when he realised that it had been before summer. Had the caretaker quit, or was he perhaps on holiday?

Reaching the library doors, he pushed them open quietly and stepped into the darkness found behind them. He lifted his wand from his pocket and quietly said 'lumos,' only allowing the tip of his wand to shine through the opening in his cloak. He walked to the restricted section, knowing that if he was going to find anything on time travel it would surely be illegal and most likely be classified as Dark Arts; the two main requirements for a book to be placed in the restricted section.

Harry walked up and down the aisles scanning the spine of every book and finally finding only two that seemed likely to help. Pulling then down off the shelf, he held them tightly against his chest in case they decided to do anything funny like try to shout or something. The last thing he needed was to have professor Sprout find him in a restricted area.

He slipped back out of the library clutching the texts tightly together and rushed as quickly as he could back to the common room. Once back in the red and gold room, Harry found that all of his friends were still sitting around the fire chatting, and that Hermione was still seated under the window, only now she had her head resting in her arms and was fast asleep.

Smiling, he walked back up to his dormitory and tucked his invisibility cloak and map back into his trunk. Pulling the hangings back around his bed, Harry lay the borrowed books down next to his others and opened the first one titled Trips Through the Ages. It was full of accounts of witches and wizards who claimed to have travelled in time and seen things they had always wanted to. Most of them had done it accidentally and the rest of them had used Time Turners. The book was useless.

He turned to the next one, titled Taming Time, and flipped to the index hoping to find a useful spell. Unfortunately this one was filled with painful ways to create a wrinkle-free face and look younger, making it just as useless as the first text. Harry threw the heavy volume down in frustration and punched his pillow in anger. There had to be a way.

Looking back at the pile of books at the foot of his bed, Harry tilted his head to read the page that had opened in his potions book when he hit it with the excruciating cosmetics text. His eyes widened when he read the title of the passage. He couldn't believe that he had found what he was looking for, and that it had been in his trunk all this time. He smiled wider and wider as his eyes swept over the passage, reading it over again and again.

It was clear to him now what he would have to do, only he would need a significant amount of help. He would have to brew the Timeless Draft.

Sunday morning Harry awoke to the regular blurry red hangings pulled around his bed after hearing Ron shout at him to shut his bird up. He reached over to his bureau and grabbed his glasses, putting them on before walking to the windowsill and letting in a very persistent Hedwig.

It had evidently been her tapping at the window that woke Ron, who in turn woke him up so that he could go on sleeping. The instant the window was opened, Hedwig fluttered inside and landed on Harry's shoulder, nipping slightly harder than she needed to on his ear.

'Alright, alright,' he said to the snowy owl, walking over to his trunk and pulling out a handful of Hooting Humdingers.

Hedwig began to eat them happily as Harry untied the bit of parchment around her leg, sure that it would be a reply from Lupin. Sure enough, it was a short note congratulating Harry on getting back on the Quidditch team, and warning him to stay out Professor Black's way for his own good. He also told him that he would see him soon.

Tucking the letter away in his trunk with his other valuables, Harry started to get dressed and made sure that Ron did the same by once again covering his face with a pillow. When everyone was awake in the sixth-year dormitory, they walked down to the common room and, as usual, found that the girls were already sitting around the fire.

They all went down for a late breakfast around half past ten and while they were finishing up, Hermione told Harry that she had volunteered herself, Ginny and Ron to help Katie and Roger set up for the first Prefect meeting of the year. Both Ron and Ginny grunted their acknowledgement of this as Harry and Neville laughed at them.

Once the red-haired siblings were lazily dragged out of the Great Hall by a surprisingly strong Hermione, Harry turned to Neville and Marc to see what they wanted to do for the next two and half hours.

'Doesn't really matter to me,' Marc said, shrugging his shoulders.

'Yeah, as long as it isn't Chess, Gobstones or Exploding Snaps. Those Creevey brothers are driving me mad,' Neville added.

'We could go visit Hagrid?' Harry suggested, remembering that he was now back at the castle, and that neither he, Ron, nor Hermione had had the chance to visit him yet.

'Sure,' both boys agreed.

The three friends walked lazily out of the large heavy front doors of Hogwarts castle and along the path that led to the familiar, crooked brown shack next to the pumpkin patch at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry walked up to the large door and rapped hard with his fist before stepping back and waiting for Hagrid to answer. There was no response from within the hut. Harry banged on the door again and listened for the sound of Hagrid moving to answer the door, but heard nothing. Not even the scramblings of Fang, wanting to jump him and drool all over his robes.

'I guess he's not here,' Marc said, and the three boys turned to walk back to the castle.

'I wondered when ya'd stop by ta see me,' a loud gruff voice sounded from the edge of the forest behind them. 'Though' you'd forgot me,' the voice added with a hint of amusement.

Harry turned to see Hagrid's looming figure emerging from the forest's edge, and a giant bloodhound bounding toward him at an alarming rate.

Before he could call out a greeting to his friend, Fang had leaped into the air and landed hard with his front paws on Harry's shoulder, knocking him off his feet and onto the soft grass behind him. He lay there with Fang's warm tongue slobbering up and down his cheeks while Neville and Marc stood pointing and laughing at him.

'Tha's enough Fang. 'arry's glad ter see ya too,' Hagrid told the large dog and waited for him to get off of Harry and trot around the hut into the pumpkin patch. 'Alrigh' there Harry?' he asked, grabbing Harry's shirt with a giant hand and pulling him up to his feet.

'Of course I am. How are you Hagrid?' he said, rushing forward to hug the large man.

'Oh me, a'm doin just fine,' Hagrid told him. 'And how 'bout yerself Neville? Keepin out er trouble I assume.' He winked at the blond boy with a grin.

'Of course,' Neville said, grinning widely at their hairy professor.

'And ya sir, mus' be Marcus,' Hagrid said to the dark-haired boy and holding out his hand, 'I am Rubeus Hagrid, Groundskeeper and Keeper o' keys at 'ogwarts an' Professor o' Care o' Magical Creatures, as ya'll see on Monday.'

Marc shook his enormous hand and smiled. 'Nice to meet you sir, but please call me Marc.'

'Well then, 'ow bouts we go inside fer a cup o' tea,' Hagrid suggested and the four of them huddled into the tiny hut.

As soon as they were all settled in their seats and the kettle was set on the fire, Harry bombarded his half-giant professor with questions about his summer travels.

'What was Beauxbatons castle like Hagrid?'

'It wasn't as nice as Hogwarts was it?' Neville added eagerly.

'Naahhh,' Hagrid said loudly, swiping the air with a hand as though dismissing the thought. 'I's a nice castle but not close ter as grea' as 'ogwarts. Everything there is so nice tha' ya have ter watch what ya touch. Everythin's made of gleamin' silver or breakable crystal. The students 'ave ter take turns polishin' parts of it ya know. An' there was not one ghost! Wasn't my idear o' a magic school.'

Harry and Neville leaned back in their seats with a satisfied look on their faces. Marc on the other hand sighed.

'Sounds a lot better than Durmstrang. I would have paid galleons for a school of silver and crystal if it meant I could get out of that constantly cold and dark prison.'

'Righ',' Hagrid said, 'So yer adjustin' alrigh' at 'ogwarts then, Marc?'

'Yeah, it's been great. Everyone's been real friendly and this one here introduced himself to me on the first night here. Thought I needed a friend,' he pointed toward Harry with a scoff, making Harry redden and Neville laugh.

'Tha's our Harry,' Hagrid said with a grin and reaching out to mess up his already unruly mop of hair. 'I take it ya get on with Ron an' 'ermione then,' he added.

'Yup! Ron actually just made me one of Gryffindor's new beaters.'

'Great!' Hagrid said loudly. 'Sad as it is to lose Fred an' George, I bet Ron couldn' wait to be rid of them! I'll be cheerin for you lot, but best we not tell anyone tha'.' They all had a good laugh.

They drank their tea and Marc took a chance with one of Hagrid's homemade scones while the gamekeeper told them all about his time at Beauxbatons and how he and the Headmistress were actually on better than good terms now.

'Way to go Hagrid. I'm happy for you,' Harry said. 'Will she be coming to visit at all?'

'Maybe around Chris'mas, wha' with Fleur and Gabrielle here now too. But she still 'as a school ter run, yer see.'

'Well, not much has changed here Hagrid,' Harry announced.

'Except for that horrible new Defense professor. I wish Dumbledore would have asked Lupin back,' Neville said with a slight frown.

'Who's this, Professor Black? Nah, she's not all bad,' Hagrid said again dismissing the thought. 'Her teachin's jus' a bit diff'rent.'

'She hates Gryffindors Hagrid, and Harry especially, not to mention how friendly she is with Snape,' Neville said coldly, quite uncharacteristic of himself.

'Yes, well tha's not really any of yer business tho is it?' Hagrid responded in her defense. 'I suppose she treats the fifth years the same then Marc?' he asked.

'I don't know,' Marc answered, beginning to flush, 'She's alright to me.'

'You can't honestly like the woman,' Harry said disbelievingly.

'Well I still don't like the way she's so chummy with professor Snape. It irks me.'

Satisfied with this, the conversation turned to how much everyone in the hut disliked the Potions Master.

Finally, it was time to leave and the boys started to say their goodbyes.

'I'll come visit you with Ron and Hermione on Monday night alright?' Harry told his large friend.

'I don't want yer to get in trouble now Harry, so maybe yer should wait and come in the day,' he suggested.

'We'll just use the cloak,' he told him, 'and the map will tell us where Filch is.'

Hagrid's eyes sprung open wide. 'Have yer seen Filch on yer map since the start of term Harry?' he asked in a strained voice.

'No, I haven't. Why Hagrid? Is he on holiday?'

Hagrid laughed at this. 'Filch on holiday? Not a chance. He hasn' left the castle grounds since the day he moved in seventeen years ago.'

'Not even during the summer?' Marc asked curiously.

'Nah, don't think he has anywhere ter go.'

'Where is he then?' Harry asked, concerned for the first time in his life for the wrinkled and sour old caretaker.

Hagrid looked flustered now, and started to clean up the tea cups and mugs hastily. 'Oh ya know what? I jus' remembered that he was talkin' 'bout goin' away. He musta gone on holiday.

Yup, no need to worry then. Well off you go.' The three boys were quickly ushered out of the hut and the door shut quickly. 'Thanks for stoppin' by.'

They all exchanged knowing glances and headed back up toward the castle. Hagrid might have been a good friend but he was a terrible liar.

Once back in the comfort of the common room, the boys sat in the three armchairs around the fire grate and discussed what they had just learned.

'Where do you think Filch has gone to?' Marc asked.

'I don't know. He could be anywhere, but the way Hagrid got so flustered it usually means he's hiding something,' Harry said as he racked his mind for a connection to the whereabouts of the missing man.

'One way or the other, there's really nothing we can do,' Neville commented. 'I mean, if he was really missing don't you think Dumbledore would be looking for him?'

'Good point,' Harry said thoughtfully. 'You're right Nev. He probably just got sick of all the rule-breakers and took some time off. It's the perfect time, what with the twins gone now. I'm sure he'll turn up soon enough.'

Deciding that they had spent enough of their leisure time worrying about an old man who would have done everything in his power to chain them up in the dungeons, they decided to resort to a game of exploding snaps. It turned out to be far more enjoyable when the Creevey brothers were not present to knock them over with every twitchy moment.

Just after two o'clock, the portrait swung open and the boys looked up to see Hermione bound in looking thoroughly pleased, followed by an almost dead-looking Ron and Ginny. Funniest of all was seeing Collin Creevey lumber in behind them looking even more tired than his brother did in the morning.

'Good meeting?' Harry ventured to ask, knowing full well what Ron and Ginny's answers would be, but giving Hermione the chance to tell him all about it.

'It was wonderful!' Hermione said loudly, the instant Harry's mouth had closed. 'Katie and Roger did a wonderful job for their first time organizing a meeting.'

'Yeah, when you let them get a word in,' Ron said, rolling his eyes at her.

Hermione ignored him and went on.

'They had some really great ideas for new rule enforcement and for the Prefects to become more actively involved with it.'

'Funny how you're the one who brought up most of those ideas,' Ron breathed, once again rolling her eyes in her direction.

'Because of Hermione, we have to have nightly patrols around the castle to watch for students out of bed.'

'I think it's a great idea,' Hermione said before Ron could go on. 'There will be two shifts every night, and during each there will be a Prefect from each house and two teachers patrolling the halls. That should put a stop to students sneaking out of their houses at night,' she said triumphantly.

'Congratulations Hermione,' Neville said, smiling at the bushy-haired girl and offering the only support in the room. 'It's great that everyone agreed with your idea.'

'Not everyone did,' she said, now changing her tone and staring pointedly in Ron's direction. 'But apparently Dumbledore liked the idea of extra eyes in the castle at night, because he approved it.'

'Well I'm sorry if I don't want to be wandering the corridors at midnight every night. I need my sleep if I'm to function in class. You know that.'

Hermione now rolled her eyes and slumped into her chair beneath the window. 'Whatever you say Ron,' she said, opening her book bag and pulling out a quill and some parchment. 'I have to get started on the scheduling. I told Roger I'd have a draft ready by tomorrow evening.'

Ron made a huffing noise from where he stood next to Harry, and Ginny tried hard not to laugh.

'At least she's given up on S.P.E.W. for now,' Harry whispered to Ron, and watched as his face twisted into a grin as well.

'So what are we going to do now then?' Ron asked the group, looking at each one of them expectantly in turn.

'Well I have an appointment with professor Flitwick,' Neville said, turning slightly red as everyone turned to face him curiously. 'Remedial Charms. I don't want to fall behind again.' He picked up his book bag and headed for the exit, saying that he'd see them all again at dinner in the Great Hall.

Harry shook his head grinning. Neville had surprised him at the beginning of term with his show of abilities on the first couple of days, but things were returning to normal and Harry could see the regular old Neville resurfacing. He had gained some nerve, and didn't seem to mind Snape so much anymore, but he was still the same shy and easily embarrassed Neville who needed help with his Charms work.

'And we all know what Hermione will be doing for the rest of the evening,' Ginny said laughing.

'Anyone up for a fly around the pitch?' Ron suggested, knowing that Harry would not turn him down. 'I saw Dean and Seamus already out there.'

'Yeah I could use some fresh air,' Marc said, getting to his feet and looking to Harry to do the same.

'Actually I have some work to catch up on before I can go flying,' Harry lied to Ron. 'But I'll meet you guys out there as soon as I'm done alright?'

Ron agreed and rushed through the porthole with Marc close behind. The common room was now empty except for Harry, Ginny and Hermione, who was so engrossed in her schedule-making that a dung bomb could have gone off and she would not have noticed.

'So what are you really going to do?' Ginny asked him with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms. She had not spent the last four years pining for him without at least being able to tell when he was hiding something

'What do you mean?' Harry asked confused, running a hand through his tangled black hair and wincing when it got caught.

'I know you Harry. You would never turn flying with Ron down unless you had something important to do. And I'm certain it's not homework.'

Harry was suddenly very uncomfortable and started to turn red in the face as he shifted his weight back and forth. It wasn't that he did not trust Ginny, but he did not think that she could help him and the less people who knew what he was doing, the better.

'I don't know what you're talking about Ginny. I'm just not feeling that well.' He said this with his eyes looking over her shoulder, unable to look her in the eye and blatantly lie.

'Fine, Harry. Lie to me if you want, but I thought we were better friends than that. I'll see you later.' With that, she picked up her book bag and headed toward the fat lady.

'Wait Ginny, where are you going,' he called after her.

'Sorry, I can't tell you because I'm not feeling well. Talk to you later.'

Harry watched as she left the common room and let his head drop into his hands. Great. Now Ginny was upset with him and he had just lied to his best friend. He ran upstairs to grab his Potions book, deciding that of everyone around him, it wouldn't be that bad if Ginny knew what he was doing. Maybe she could help him. Sure she wasn't Hermione in Potion making, but she had to be better than he was.

He grabbed his map out of his trunk and opened it to see where she had gone. The tiny speck labelled Ginny Weasley had travelled all the way down to the entrance hall and was now proceeding toward the dungeons. What was she doing?

Harry rushed down toward the dungeons as quickly as he could, hoping to catch up with her and explain what he wanted to do. As he approached the dungeon he had seen her speck enter, he paused outside the doorway at hearing a pair of voices. One was hers, but the other was male and it was definitely not Dean's.

'Did you need help with your potion then?' he heard her say to the voice.

'In your dreams Weasley. As if I'd take help from a Gryffindor,' the other voice sneered in reply.

Harry took a deep breath as he looked down at his map to see who she was talking to, and just as he had feared, saw the speck labelled Ginny Weasley right next to the one labelled Draco Malfoy.


	12. Dreams and Drafts

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A/N Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait but I got sort of busy. Here's another chap and I'll try to get the next one up tomorrow or the day after as well. Take care. Kyle : D**

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Chapter 12: Dreams and Drafts

Harry cleared his eyes and looked at the map again to ensure that he was not seeing things. Unfortunately right next to Ginny Weasley's black speck, clear as day, was Draco Malfoy's.

He tried to think of what she could be doing here. She could not have elected to be in the same room as that greasy ferret, so he must have snuck up on her when she was not expecting it.

'You need to add the dried earwigs first,' he heard Ginny's voice say in a calm and collected way.

'Oh, right. I knew that,' Malfoy called back at her in a less than usual snotty tone.

'Slowly. Not all at once. Ughhh! You're impossible Draco!' Now a hint of frustration was conveyed in her tone, but it was far outweighed by her amusement

Draco! Did she just call Malfoy by his first name, and did he not object or retort in any way? What was going on? Suddenly Harry had a disturbing thought as his latest nightmare flooded his thoughts. Could Ginny actually be friends with Malfoy?

Not wanting to think about it, and deciding that they had been alone for far too long, he walked forward and into the dungeon where he found the red-haired Gryffindor and the platinum-haired Slytherin working over the same cauldron.

'Ginny?' he said, and watched with delight as they both jumped and Malfoy stepped very quickly away from her so that he was now standing at the next workstation.

'Harry, what are you doing here?' Ginny asked, looking around him toward the door to see if anyone else had come with him. She looked highly disconcerted and more uncomfortable than he had ever seen her.

'Yes, what are you doing here Potter?' Malfoy growled in his most menacing voice while fixing him with his signature Malfoy glare.

'I don't believe I was talking to you Malfoy. I was looking for you Ginny. Do you think I could talk to you for a minute?'

'Can you not see that I'm busy? We can talk when I get back to the common room.' Ginny had apparently recovered from the sudden intrusion, and had now moved on to what looked like annoyance.

'No, it's fine Weasley. I was just leaving anyway,' Malfoy said to her without taking his steely gaze off of Harry before sweeping out past him and making sure to elbow him hard as he did.

'Glad he's gone,' Harry said as soon as he was out the door. 'Now I can te-'

'What do you think you're doing?' Ginny interrupted him with a scream, completely catching him off-guard and causing him to take a step backward.

'Saving you from that insufferable prat, and I would think you could be more grateful,' he said, regaining composure and now sounding slightly put off.

'Grateful!' she screamed again, 'You have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't need saving, but now I surely will. I might not have wanted to be here, but I had to be.' Her hands were placed strategically on her hips, and had he not been watching for her attack, Harry would have mentioned how much she looked like her mother at that instant.

'What?' Harry asked, now thoroughly confused. 'You're trying to tell me that you had to be here, talking to Malfoy, no wait, I mean Draco?' He said Malfoy's name in an overly sweet tone, reminiscent of professor Umbridge, but with a look of pure hatred on his face to clearly convey his disgust.

'You were spying on us!' she screamed louder than ever, anger spouting from every word. Her temper had now fully emerged and Harry was getting a front row seat to the redhead's incredible anger.

'Well, not really. I mean I was just, well I was standing by the door, and then well. Yeah I was,' he finally admitted sheepishly. 'But I didn't mean to.'

'For your information, I promised Snape that I would tutor Draco in Potions and I call him by his first name because if I have to see him three times a week, I might as well be civil about it. Not that it's any of your business.'

Now Harry felt extremely foolish and slightly ashamed. He had intended on apologizing to Ginny, not spying on her and consequently making things far worse between them.

'So, if you'll excuse me, I have to try and figure out how I can teach him twice as much during the next session,' she said angrily, trying to clean up bat ear clippings from the counter top.

'Ginny, I'm sorry,' he started to say, not wanting her to stay angry with him. 'Please just listen to me.'

She was now packing up her cauldron and placing ingredients back into the store cupboards lining the dark walls of the dungeon.

'I came down here to apologise, for lying in the common room.' He figured the only way to get her attention would be to start with the apology he had intended to offer in the first place.

'Well, you're off to a good start then aren't you?' she said to him with a scoff as she slammed a jar of bat wings to the back of the cupboard, effectively rattling every other container on the shelf.

'I want to tell you what I'm going to do. But you have to keep it a secret. I'm not even telling Ron or Hermione.'

Ginny stopped packing her things and looked up at him with interest. 'Go on.'

Harry checked his map to make sure that no one else was lurking in the corridors to hear their conversation and then he continued to tell her all about his plan to brew the Timeless Draft. Upon hearing the name of the potion, Ginny gasped and raised a hand to her mouth in alarm, but allowed Harry to continue. When he was done telling her of his plan, she looked him in the eye and gave a short laugh.

'You are absolutely crazy. No wonder you didn't tell Hermione, this would drive her over the edge of insanity. You know she'll kill you herself if she finds out. And Ron, well he would be nothing but trouble all the way to the end.'

'Are you saying you'll help me then?' Harry asked hopefully, knowing that from her excitement what her answer would probably be.

'The Timeless Draft is one of, if not the, most illegal drafts creatable and one of the most difficult in the world, so... of course!' she said grinning madly.

'Will you be able to help me? I mean are you any good in Potions or could you somehow talk to Hermione?' Harry asked, knowing that Ginny was quite good at getting things out of the bushy-haired intellect when he and Ron could not.

Ginny looked affronted by this statement, and Harry winced and gave a small cry when she punched him hard in the arm like when she had in the carriage at Percy's wedding.

'I don't need Hermione. I can do just fine on my own. Just because Hermione is a genius does not mean that everyone else in Gryffindor is dim you know.'

'Do you get more Exceeds Expectations' than Acceptable's?' Harry asked in an attempt to gauge her abilities, and stepped away quickly so to avoid any further attacks.

'I've only once received below Outstanding,' she said with her chin held high. 'Why do you think Snape asked me to help Draco? He would never admit it, but I am the highest scoring student in Potions in the school. McGonagall told me.'

Harry blinked a few times. He had never thought of Ginny as a very good student, but now that he thought about it, she did not really have many friends in her year to act as distractions or prevent her from learning. Most of her friends were in sixth-year. And the more he thought about it, Ginny did spend a lot of time on her homework assignments, only next to Hermione it never really showed.

'Sadly enough, McGonagall told me that I am the Hermione Granger of my year, but I try not to think about it too often.' They both laughed at this.

They continued to laugh and talk about when would be a good time to start brewing the draft as they headed out of the dungeons, and neither one of them noticed the bright green eyes staring down at them from the rafters high above.

That night when the two of them had finished their dinners, they explained to their friends that they had an assignment to work on in Potions together and excused themselves early. Only Hermione seemed curious about their awkward excuse, but as hard as they had tried, neither of the pair could think of a more plausible one.

They walked out of the Great Hall toward the right stairway and started to make their way to the only place in the castle that they knew would be secure. Once they were halfway down one of the seventh floor corridors, Harry stepped up to the familiar patch of blank wall across from the ever comical hanging of Barnabas Barmy's attempt at training Trolls to do the ballet, and closed his eyes, concentrating hard on what he would need to create this potion.

Sure as he knew it would be, when he opened his eyes, a highly polished door stood in front of him, waiting to be opened. He turned the brass knob and Ginny followed him into the room that they had both frequented many times the year before, but that now appeared quite different. The Room of Requirement was no longer lined with shelves bearing tools for defense and it was in fact much smaller than it had been the previous year, when it had needed to accommodate a group of people far larger than two.

In the middle of the room sat a large cauldron over a well-contained flame for the brewing process. Just as Harry had hoped, what looked like Snape's store cupboard sat in the far corner of the room where a cracked foe glass had once hung. He held his breath as he opened the doors and let it out with a small 'Yes!' upon finding the ingredients that would have otherwise been impossible to obtain. Ginny reached passed his arms and pulled out everything that they would need before taking a seat at a small table next to the cauldron and opening her Potions text to the right page.

Harry joined her and in moments he was chopping a bright purple Dragon heartstring while Ginny carefully measured out the thick silver Unicorn's blood. It took them approximately three hours before almost every last item was added. The list of instructions seemed to go on forever, and Harry decided that the draft had only ever been brewed twice in the last century because it took far too long and not because it was difficult. According to the book, this potion was even more tedious than the Polyjuice Potion was in that they would have to wait five weeks before adding the Unicorn's blood.

They stared at the brew as it formed black bubbles and gurgled noisily in front of them. Harry looked over at Ginny and smiled as he saw the look of pride she had at watching her creation. She really had been impressive while brewing it. He had mainly chopped items and prepared them for her to add. He had tried to add the wax beetles but she stopped him just before he did, telling him that they had to be added head down and one at a time, with a minute and thirty two seconds precisely between each addition. He was really glad she had agreed to help him.

'Thanks for everything Gin,' he said as they collected their things and tidied up the mess they had made. He knew that without her help he would have stood little chance at succeeding.

'No problem,' came her response, 'It was fun. We'll never get to make something like that in Snape's class. It is illegal after all.' Then she gave an oddly thoughtful look at the cauldron. 'Harry, do you suppose the potion will be safe in here alone for five weeks?'

'Absolutely,' he answered without hesitation, 'No one uses this room anymore, and if anyone did, it would appear the way they wanted it to, and I doubt that would include our potion.' Ginny nodded her agreement as Harry started to walk toward the door.

'Harry,' she called him before he could reach it. 'I really had fun tonight. Maybe we could do more things like this on a regular basis?'

Harry's heart sped up as he listened to what she told him and he could not help but feel slightly dizzy. She just said that she wanted to spend more time with him, and he most certainly wanted to see more of her.

'Uh yeah, that would be alright,' he said lamely, and cursed himself silently for not sounding more enthused.

'Great,' she said, touching his arm as she reached for the door handle and the both of them re-entered the regular corridors of Hogwarts castle, chatting quietly as they returned to their common room.

The next few weeks passed quickly for Harry, as everyday was filled with as much as it possibly could be. Between his daily classes, Animagus training, Occlumency lessons and Quidditch practice, Harry rarely found a moments peace in which to relax on his own. Whenever such a moment did present itself, it was immediately and voluntarily given up to spend time with the only Weasley daughter.

Although Ginny did not have Animagus training or Occlumency lesson, she still had her classes, Quidditch practice, Prefects meetings and nightly patrols, as well as tutoring with Malfoy three times a week to manage. Between their busy schedules, it was quite a miracle that they found time to do anything at all. Nonetheless they still found themselves walking around the grounds several times a week, talking about Potions or Defense, their favorite lessons, sometimes they would just stay in the common room and visit with their other friends, each of whom were nearly just as busy.

Ron seemed to be managing as usual, squeaking through classes by doing the minimal amount of work necessary and saving most of his energy for planning Quidditch practices. Hermione on the contrary was on the verge of a breakdown. She had nearly twice as many courses as a regular sixth year, regularly scheduled the Prefect patrolling times and for the first time the previous week had received a grade of Exceeds Expectations on a Transfiguration essay.

She had cried for an hour upon receiving the returned assignment and no matter how hard they tried, neither Ginny, Harry or Ron could comfort her. She had simply left the common room, not to be seen or heard from until three hours later when she returned. After that night, she had been leaving for the same period of time every other night, and refused to tell anyone where she had been going. On the whole, all of Gryffindor tower was occupied.

Neville seemed to be working harder than Harry had ever seen him work, especially in Potions. While they did still have the occasional accident, neither of the two had received grades lower than exceeds expectations, something that seemed not to bother Snape all that much. Harry wondered why he was no longer going out of his way to grade the pair zero for every lesson, but then realised that he could not, as they rarely made errors and left little to be criticized of their work. Snape did still manage to insult Harry on a regular basis, receiving ample snickers from his Slytherin students and, as expected, Snape showed no sign that he and Harry had had the discussion about Lily.

It appeared that Neville was taking several remedial lessons with the professors as he was rarely found in the common room during the evening and only stayed for a short time during meals before rushing off to work on his assignments. Even Dean and Seamus seemed to be putting in slightly more effort than they used to, preparing for their N.E.W.T's and trying their best to keep up with Parvati and Lavender, who as always kept on top of their studies.

Harry and Marc had also been spending quite a lot of time together, and were becoming very close. Harry decided that while he could never replace Ron or Hermione, he did certainly come in at a close second. Although Marc was only a fifth year, the pair found themselves doing much of their homework assignments together and successfully helping each other understand the concepts that befuddled them. Harry was able to explain what the Hogwarts professors expected while Marc was able to give a Durmstrang perspective on Harry's questions.

Everything in the castle was extremely fast paced and stressful, but for the first time since he had started at Hogwarts, Harry felt like any other ordinary teenager.

Harry's quick-paced lifestyle was interrupted in the sixth week of term, by a large post owl at breakfast carrying a piece of parchment sealed by the Hogwarts crest. He tore open the parchment and read the short letter from the Headmaster inviting him up to his office at the end of the day's lessons. Curious as to what it could mean, he stuffed the letter into his robes pocket and grabbed his things to go to class.

Today, Care of Magical Creatures was an interesting lesson, watching Charlie explain how to deal with a variety of the creatures they had learned about over the past five years, while Hagrid stood next to him handling the said creatures and asking each of the students to come up one at a time and demonstrate something they had learned about it.

It was set up as an inter-class challenge and the group was split in three to see which group could get the most correct displays of creature care. Hermione was called upon first to show what she knew about Hippogriffs and impressed everyone by walking straight up to the magnificent creature and patting it on the beak before mounting it expertly without even the slightest bow. The Gryffindor's clapped loudly for her as well as many of the other students, but Harry and Ron just stood there smirking at her because they knew that she was actually sitting on Buckbeak, who already knew and trusted her well.

Harry had been surprised that Buckbeak was back at Hogwarts, what with his death sentence the last time, but Hagrid had explained to them before class that they just had to be careful not to name him by that name before winking at them conspicuously.

Next up was Justin Finch-Fletchley for Hufflepuff who was presented with an empty area of grassland and a cow's leg. He earned his team full marks by correctly identifying a Thestral despite not being able to see it, when he tore the flesh off the cow's leg and waited patiently for the unseen creature to smell the blood.

Ron was unlucky enough to get a fully-grown blast-ended Skrewt. He walked directly up to the creature's pen and reached in with a leash, attempting to fasten it so to take it for a walk. He successfully attached the leash but only received part marks when the Skrewt caught him off-guard with its sucker end and Hagrid had to pull it off of Ron's leg.

Harry went after Ron, and at Charlie's request, showed the class how to properly hold off one of the large spiders from the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid explained to the class that while they would not learn about the giant spiders, every student in the school should have the ability to defend themselves against them. Harry simply used the 'Arania Exeme' spell he had used to save him and Ron in their second year.

The last person to go was Neville, and he was presented with a Unicorn. The stunningly white creature stood alone in a clearing just at the edge of the woods, eating what it could of leaves around it, while keeping an eye on the students that surrounded it. Neville took a few steps forward but then stopped.

'I don't think I should professors,' he said to Charlie and Hagrid, 'Since I'm a male it will only agitate the beast. That wouldn't be fair to her.'

'Full marks,' Hagrid boomed, and everyone cheered for the reddening Gryffindor.

At the end of dinner that night, Harry told his friends that he had a meeting with McGonagall, concerning his career planning, and that he would see them back in the common room later on that night.

Harry slowly made his way to the Headmaster's office unsure of what the old wizard could want from him. Perhaps he had seen into some of his thoughts, although he had successfully kept him out of his mind during Occlumency. He had gotten so good at closing his mind that the last time Dumbledore had tried to enter it, Harry had entered his instead, much like the way he had done to Snape by accident the year before.

Once passed the gargoyle, Harry was spiralled up toward the office and stopped outside the open heavy door upon hearing the Headmaster talking to someone.

'As I've already told you, she was the most qualified one for the job. I do not regret my decision and I very much agree with her position,' he heard Dumbledore say in a very polite but determined voice.

'But can she be trusted? After all she is the wife of a-' the other familiar voice started to say.

'I'm afraid we will have to discuss this later. If it alright with you I will now ask Harry in so that he does not have to listen from outside the door.'

Harry pushed the door open with a crooked grin on his face and smiled apologetically to Dumbledore. He sat behind his desk as usual and across from him sat Lupin, who was now getting up and smiling back at Harry.

'Professor, uh, I mean Remus, how are you?' he said rushing forward to give the man a hug. 'What are you doing here?'

Lupin laughed at his sudden excitement before answering him. 'I'm great Harry, and I've been called here by Dumbledore, just like you,' the light-haired man told him.

'Why were we called here professor?' Harry asked Dumbledore, who still sat quietly in his seat smiling and watching their interaction from behind his half-moon spectacles. He waited a moment before responding to the question; not in hesitation, but to place a lemon drop into his mouth.

'Can I offer you a lemon drop Harry? Remus?'

'No, thank you,' they both answered in unison, clearly eager to hear why they were brought before the Headmaster.

'Very well,' Dumbledore said with a smile as he placed a handful of the tiny sweets into his robes pocket. 'It has come to my attention that your training was going very well over the summer Harry. And I've also recently learned from a very reliable source that you miss these lessons.'

Harry looked over at Lupin, who turned his head the other way, reddening significantly.

'I asked you both here to see if you would be willing to resume your training sessions.' The pair looked up at each other with a look that clearly said yes, and Dumbledore chuckled lightly. 'Just as I expected.'

'And now you won't have to worry about calling me Remus anymore. Looks like I'll be professor Lupin all over again,' he grinned at Harry who shook his head at this comment.

'This will be great! I was learning so much and it could all be extremely useful when it come time to-' he paused and looked down at the floor. It had been weeks since he had thought about what would be his final battle with the most powerful Dark Wizard of his time. With his busy schedule, there had not been time to worry about dueling technique and curse knowledge, let alone perfecting murder.

'Harry, nobody expects you to do anything you don't want to,' Lupin said consolingly, and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder for comfort.

'Harry gave Dumbledore a look that told him he still wasn't ready to share the details of the prophecy and the Headmaster gave the slightest of nods in return.

'Well, I think it best if Harry got back to his common room before the other two thirds of Gryffindor's point losing team come looking for him.'

Harry gave a small chuckle at Dumbledore's attempt at humor before saying goodnight and leaving the adults alone to discuss what he assumed would be matters of the Order.

At nine o'clock four nights later, Harry and Ginny found themselves walking through the silent seventh floor corridor and stopping in front of the familiar polished door, leading to the Timeless Draft. Once inside the room, Harry smirked at seeing the contents of the cauldron. The once thick black substance had now turned a violent shade of puce and had ceased bubbling.

Ginny carefully re-read the instructions for what must have been the hundredth time before finally drizzling the Unicorn's silver life force into the cauldron, being sure to trace the outline of a specific symbol drawn in the text. As the last drop of blood hit the surface of the potion, Harry and Ginny leaned over in time to watch it turn from the colour of uncle Vernon's blotchy face to a brilliant powder blue substance with a much thinner consistency.

They both leaned back as the brew began to give off a light mist of silver vapor and lightly began to bubble once more, this time slowly and far more controlled.

'That should do it,' Ginny said proudly. 'Now it just has to sit overnight and tomorrow we'll see if I'm as brilliant as I say I am.' She grinned widely, exposing her straight white teeth and fluttering her eyelids mockingly. 'Now what do you want to do?' she asked Harry as she placed the empty vile that contained the blood into the old store cupboard.

Harry had thought about this very thing for the last couple of days. He could hardly concentrate in any of his lessons, as his mind would begin to wander until it reached the topic of Ginny. Looking at her standing there in front of him, batting her eyelashes and laughing at all of his jokes he could not help but wonder. She must still fancy me, he thought. That was enough for him; he would ask her to the upcoming Hogsmeade Trip. It would be perfect.

'Uh, Ginny?' he started, 'I was wondering if maybe you would like to go with me to Hogsmeade?' He felt so nervous that he just said it all quickly, thinking that if he took his time he might stop halfway through and vomit.

'Yeah that would be great!' she said to him and smiled again. Harry's heart leaped in his chest. She said yes! Unfortunately his excitement was short-lived. 'It looks like I'm going with Neville and Marc too,' she continued. 'And I'm sure if you ask Ron and Hermione they'll come with us as well. It looks like it will be one fun party, don't you agree? Dean and Seamus sure think so,' she rolled her eyes. 'Oh! That reminds me,' she said, quickly stealing a glance at her watch, 'I was supposed to meet Dean ten minutes ago. Sorry Harry, we'll have to do this another night. See you.'

Harry waved silently from where he stood, unable to say anything, or more accurately, unwilling to say a word, as it would probably involve the words stupid, prat, or idiot. How could he have been so thoughtless to forget about Dean? If he found out about that he would have been furious, not that Harry particularly cared at the moment. He was far more concerned with the way Ginny had let him believe that she was agreeing to go on a date with him. How could she toy with him that way and not show the slightest bit of concern for their friendship.

Walking back to the common room, he was feeling slightly embarrassed and extremely foolish. She was dating Dean, so why did he even bother asking her out. Of course she thought he had meant as friends, and after all the years of pining for him, it now appeared that Ginny Weasley was done waiting for the Boy-who-lived.'

That night up in his dormitory, he had the first restless sleep he had had in weeks. He could not help but replay what had occurred between him and Ginny and as he finally fell asleep his dreams began to take the shape of the heart-crushing scene. It played over and over in his mind, and no matter what he did to change the outcome it always ended in his being left alone in the dark room while Ginny went off to meet with Dean.

As disturbing a dream as it was, it really didn't compare to what came next. Harry found himself once again in the cold damp cave, in which he had earlier seen and fought Voldemort in his previous nightmare. This time Harry decided that he would not allow himself to be manipulated into using his emotions in a spell. The last time he had done that, he had cast an unforgivable curse, only to have it turn directions and wrack his body with pain instead. If he saw Voldemort in this dream he would simply stay hidden in the shadows and listen for anything of importance , hopefully giving him something to tell the members of the Order when he awoke.

He walked the same path that he had the last time, once again dragging one hand along the cave wall to keep from falling, until he reached the entrance to the large cave and stared into the center. Voldemort was not present, but between two of the adjacent passages a very short person in a cloak was held to the wall in shackles.

Harry tried to see who it was, thinking perhaps one of the Death eaters being punished, but was unable to see their face for their cowl. The prisoner's head was drooping low as though he was unconscious and a small trickling of water ran down the wall behind him into a small pool at his feet. Harry did not envy this man.

Suddenly there was movement on one side of the cave and Harry watched as the cowardly form of Peter Pettigrew entered the cave, closely followed by two masked Death Eaters. The shorter of them stepped forward and very roughly slammed their fist into the side of the prisoner's head without warning. A scream of pain echoed through the cave, causing him to wince and shiver uncontrollably until he heard the Death Eater laugh.

A high pitch laugh now resonated off of the cave walls causing Harry to freeze and stare at the originator. He knew that laugh well for he had been haunted by it nearly every night in his dreams all summer. Bellatrix Lestrange continued to laugh hysterically as she stepped forward and took another swing at the side of the prisoner's head, resulting in yet another scream of pain and more uncontrolled laughter.

Harry stood still in the shadows, shaking with rage and fear as he stared through tear-filled eyes at the monster that had taken his Godfather away from him. He tried to control his emotions, but failed miserably as he felt his temper rise higher and higher; Bellatrix needed to pay for what she had done.

Just as it had done in the Dursley's kitchen two months before, Harry's hair began to blow in an unfelt wind and the light in the cave began to dim. He reached his hand into his robes and grasped his fingers tightly around his wand, preparing to step forward into the cave and give Bellatrix what she deserved.

He stopped abruptly as a third figure stepped out of the shadows, also covered in a cloak, and walked slowly toward the shackled man. This figure was tall and thin and even though Harry could not see his face, he was certain that it was Voldemort. An instant cold ran through his body whenever they were within close proximity, and tonight, Harry was certain his veins were filled with ice water.

'And how is our favorite guest doing tonight?' Voldemort's chilling voice cut through the air sharply, making Harry remember what had happened last time, and causing to take a step back further into the shadows.

'He is still saying nothing my Lord,' Bellatrix said with a glint of joy in her eyes. 'Shall I torture him?' she asked in what Harry knew was a pleading voice.

'Not so fast Bella,' the cruel high voice answered thoughtfully. 'If you ruin his mind, we'll never get what we want. Now,' he said turning to face the prisoner, 'where will I find the list. It was not where it should have been and I know it was you who removed it.'

The prisoner said nothing still.

'Come now old friend, must we really go through this again? As you know from our last several meetings, Bella will be all too pleased to administer the Cruciatus, and well, once she starts there really is no telling when it might end.'

Still the prisoner's head hung low and no sound escaped from his body.

'Very well, go ahead with your new methods Bella. No need to administer the memory charm as it appears that he will no longer be of any use to us. Do dispose of him when you are through. Wormtail will assist you.' Harry watched as Pettigrew twitched nervously in the corner of the room where he was cast in shadow by his master's figure.

'My Lord,' a feminine voice called out. It was the other Death Eater who as of yet had not spoken a word. Voldemort turned his attention to her and waited impatiently for her to continue. 'I think there may be a way to use him still. He has shown previously to be of weak mind therefore it is possible that the Imperious could get the files returned, provided he knows where they are.'

'I am certain that he does,' Voldemort said sneering. 'Good work. I knew it would not be a mistake to keep you around. You have proven to be far more useful than your counterpart, the waste of life.'

The Death Eater bowed before her master before he, Bellatrix, and Wormtail left the cave. Harry watched as Voldemort's follower neared the prisoner and raised an arm in his direction. With her back to him it was difficult to see if she was holding a wand or a weapon for some sort of torture. Things started to darken around Harry and he realized that his surroundings were fading. The last thing he heard before everything disappeared was the cold familiar voice of the Death Eater shouting 'Imperio.'

Harry awoke moments later gasping for breath and looking around him. The hangings were pulled tightly around his bed as usual and he opened one to let in some air. He thought back to his nightmare and of the prisoner hanging motionless on the wet cave wall, no way to escape and at the mercy of Bellatrix Lestrange. Then he realized that whatever happened now, that man would be sent back to wherever he came from under the Imperius curse to complete one of Voldemort's tasks.

He had to warn the Order, and then there was the issue of this new Death Eater. Her voice had been so familiar, yet he could not place her. She clearly had not been at the Department of Mysteries or she would have been caught along with the others. Voldemort had only spared Bellatrix and now it appeared that she had competition in this other woman. Voldemort had been pleased with her, something he rarely expressed, but other than that the only thing Harry knew about her was that she had a counterpart who had worked for Voldemort. Perhaps a brother or a husband.

He would have to tell Dumbledore about this dream and hopefully he would be able to make sense of it somehow. Harry tried to understand what it was Voldemort could want from that man that had been so important. Suddenly he figured it out. On the first day of term, Hermione had shown them an article written by Rita Skeeter describing a break-in in the Ministry files department, and only one set of files were missing. That was what Voldemort was after. The article had said that the file was missing, confusing Harry, because Voldemort had still been looking for a list according to his dream. So who could have stolen it?

Harry walked across the dormitory and opened the window before climbing back onto his four-poster and trying to fall asleep. He would inform the Headmaster of the dream first thing in the morning.

He and Ginny walked together to the Room of Requirement the next morning after breakfast, both of them eager to learn whether or not their potion had turned out.

Harry had gone to see Dumbledore earlier when he first woke up and explained every detail of the dream that he could remember, right down to his finding the masked Death Eater's voice familiar. The Headmaster had nodded coolly when Harry was done explaining. Harry asked if he understood what it meant and Dumbledore had simply explained that the Order would do what they could with the information before reminding him to practice his Occlumency exercises before bed and then telling him to go down to breakfast. Harry was extremely annoyed and had barely spoken to anyone until Ginny found him and reminded him that their potion still needed checking.

They entered the small room and took their seats at the small table in the middle of the room bearing the cauldron. The light silver vapour still hovered on the surface of the brilliant blue substance and was disturbed when Ginny dipped a ladle into the cauldron and poured it into two separate vials.

'Are you ready?' she asked skeptically while handing him one of the vials and looking into his reassuring green eyes.

'If you're sure you still want to come with me,' he asked one more time to be sure. 'If we get caught we'll probably be expelled. That is if we don't get sent to Azkaban.'

'Let's just do this,' she said, having made up her mind before showing up. 'On the count of three.'

Together they held up their samples and counted to three before quickly drinking the entire vile of fluid. Harry coughed a little as his passed down his throat and then felt a tingling sensation as he felt the substance slide into his stomach.

'Tastes pretty good, doesn't it. Almost like a sugar quill,' Ginny said as she placed her vile on the table and looked up at Harry. 'So, how do you feel?'

Harry thought for a moment and then disappointedly told her that he felt the same as usual.

'Maybe it just needs a couple of minutes to set in, you know?' she said unconvincingly.

'You read the effects just like I did. It said that if the draft was brewed correctly it would react immediately upon consumption. We made a mistake.'

'But how?' Ginny said in a confused voice, flipping through Harry's Potions book and trying to understand where she had gone wrong. 'I did everything exactly the way the text said to do it.'

'It's alright Ginny. It was a long shot anyway. Thanks for trying though,' he said to the redhead with a smile to hide his disappointment. 'Why don't you head back to the common room and I'll meet you there when I'm done tidying up.'

'Don't be silly, I'll help you,' she offered, but Harry stood his ground and explained that he wanted to do it on his own. She nodded her agreement and told him that she would wait for him by the fire. He was glad that she had agreed to leave. Since their meeting yesterday, Harry had decided that he would no longer spend time with Ginny. In a group was one thing, but their weekly walks around the grounds and their conversations about any and everything would have to end.

As soon as she was gone, Harry started to put all of their materials away until all that was left was the cauldron sitting in the middle of the room. He sat for a few minutes staring at what he had hoped would be his one chance to witness his parents' happiness while they were alive. The blue substance lay perfectly still in it's container while the silver mist twirled and hovered above it weightlessly, as though taunting him with every drift.

Deciding it was over Harry flicked his wand at the potion saying 'Evanesco,' instantly clearing the mis-made draft from its holder. He grabbed the empty cauldron to place it in the store cupboard but stopped moving when he heard the hollow rattling of something rolling around in its bottom. He set it back down and peered over the edge to see what it was. Perhaps it was the ingredient that should not have been added to the draft, he thought bitterly.

Looking into the cauldron, Harry gasped when he saw the edge of the tiny golden apparatus glinting from the torch light in the room. How was this possible? The draft was not supposed to have this effect.

Well, he decided, whatever had happened it was alright, because now he was going to see his parents wedding as the proud new owner of a Time Turner.


	13. French Kiss

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**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the wait for this update. I'll try and be quicker for the next one. Thanks to all those who have continued to review after every update and if anyone has any questions or concerns, I will be responding to reviews in the next update so please fire away! Take care, Kyle : D**

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**Chapter 13: French Kiss**

Harry walked back to the Gryffindor common room with a smile plastered on his face and a certain lightness to his step. He was happier than he had been in a long time, for he was going to use his newly created Time Turner to visit the past and finally see what his parents were really like.

He hung the newly formed item on the silver chain next to his and his mother's pendants, where it now sat peacefully against his chest, hidden from the eyes of nosy onlookers or anyone who might try to take it away from him.

He thought about whether or not he should share with Ginny what their mishap had actually created but decided against it, as it would be much easier to visit the past if he was alone.

Looking at his watch he saw that today would not be the day that he did any time travelling, as he only had a couple of hours to eat and finish his newly appointed Defense essay before he had to be out on the pitch for another one of Ron's practices.. This time it was on the effectiveness of using curses versus hexes.

Katie had been joking when she warned Ron about becoming Oliver Wood, but it appeared he had not taken it to heart. He had augmented the training sessions from three times a week to four or five, depending on his Prefect duties, and was now teaching them new formations every practice.

While it was frustrating at times, Harry had to admit that he had never seen the Gryffindor team play so well together. The way they had all been playing, Ravenclaw stood little chance at winning during the first match of the year, and he was sure that the residents of the Nest would be thoroughly pleased with their efforts.

After a quick breakfast of toast and tea, Harry rushed back to the common room to write his essay. As was usual, Marc offered his help and the pair had completed the assignment in no time at all.

'You sure do know your stuff when it comes to the Dark Arts,' Harry commented as he started to pack his things up to prepare for Quidditch practice.

'Yeah, well, my mum always makes me learn everything there is to know about them. Remember I did go to Durmstrang because it's where she had me enrolled. I wanted to come here, but she said that I would do well to go to the school that she had attended and that I would learn far more useful practical magic than Hogwarts could offer.'

'At least you're here now,' Harry said, shaking his head at the thought of Marc's mother judging a school she knew little about.

'Yeah, but I have to admit she was right. There are a lot of things I'm glad I learned at Durmstrang, because there's no way I would have learned them here. Hogwarts is too much a Defense school to teach such things as practical Dark Arts.'

Harry nodded his agreement. While he did not agree with Durmstrang's teachings, he did wish he had some of Marc's learning so that he would be better prepared when faced with the Death Eaters, most of who probably came from Durmstrang.

'Want to head to the pitch then?' he said knowing that if they did not hurry, they would be late.

'We'd better, or Ron might have us fly laps or something of the sort,' Marc replied as they rushed up to their dormitory to change into their robes.'

This practice was no different from any of the others since Ron had become Captain. They started out with a brief meeting, something that neither Oliver nor Angelina had done, but that Ron called an essential part of the training. During these meetings he called upon anyone on the team to give any ideas that they felt would help improve the quality of training and essentially improve their success.

Although they hated to admit it, the meetings really did help to bring the team closer together, allowing the teammates to communicate to one another their opinions and suggestions in a non-confrontational setting. Of course it was Ron who gave most of the criticism and suggestions, but unsurprisingly, Parvati also had a fair bit to share during every meeting.

Parvati turned out to be quite the exceptional Chaser. Ginny and Katie agreed that she played well with them and from what Harry could tell, the three girls had a technique more closely woven and perfected then when Angelina and Alicia had been on the team.

Despite her denials, it was evident to everyone, Gryffindors and other houses alike, that Parvati loved her newfound skill. At the end of every practice she could be seen running off to Lavender, who of course attended every practice, and would run through every move step by step while her best friend listened excitedly to her account.

Marc and Seamus also played wonderfully, although their techniques were different from that of the Weasley twins, and they were constantly congratulated by Ron telling them that it meant there would be less fouls on Gryffindor's side.

Today Harry found himself hovering high above the pitch soon after kick-off and just staring off over the Forbidden Forest. The sun was shining brightly again today, without a single cloud to mar the perfectly blue sky. It had been a while since conditions were as nice as these, owing to the winter winds slowly creeping up on them as they neared November.

He watched as the trees in the forest stood tall and proud, one or two of them occasionally swaying from an unseen occurrence beneath the thick canopy of branches. He noticed that while there were small disturbances around the edges, nothing was large enough to indicate the presence of a Giant.

What had become of Grawp over the summer? If Hagrid was not here, then who was left to take care of him? Harry assumed that Hagrid's half-brother had in fact been removed from the forest, as the last time he had seen Hagrid, his face was not showing signs of a near death beating.

'Harry!' he heard his name called and turned to see that Ron was the one shouting at him from his place in front of a set of hoops. 'Find the snitch already?' he called up to him again, shielding his eyes with a hand to try and see the golden ball in Harry's fist but failing.

'Not yet Ron,' he called back before sweeping his eyes over the pitch again and setting off to find it.

The practice lasted three hours today, and tired as they were, each of the team members were extremely relieved for an excuse to be out of the castle for such a long period of time. It appeared that everyone's hectic schedules were starting to get to them.

More so than ever, Harry was becoming resentful of everything that had occurred, or worse, not occurred in his life thus far. At the top of his list was the fact that he had lost both of his parents to a monster whom he was now supposed to kill, and still no one other than Dumbledore knew this.

He wanted so badly to tell Hermione and Ron, but knew that they would not be able to handle such horrific news. Hermione would cry and always look at him pityingly, while things between he and Ron would most likely become strained as Ron realised that his best friend was either a murderer or a dead man.

As though this thought alone was not enough to cause stress for the raven-haired Gryffindor, professor Black had now doubled the length of the assignments she issued him, and he seemed to have hit a dead-end in his animagus training sessions.

Training with Dumbledore was extremely straining as it was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep the old man out of his mind. During the last training session, Harry had just managed to cut him off as he reached his memory of the cave.

If it had been difficult to manage his schedule before Lupin had arrived, now it was practically impossible. The sandy-haired professor had him meeting in the Room of Requirements, at Harry's suggestion, daily so that they could continue their lessons. While the lessons were extremely practical and would more likely than not prove useful, Harry had never felt so run down in his life.

The only time he had left to himself was now allotted to Quidditch practice, and he hated to admit it, but he did not receive the same thrill from flying that he once did. He was constantly daydreaming now, about nothing in particular, when Ron would catch him hovering with a glazed expression on his face and the snitch twittering just behind his ear.

With Harry's new decision to no longer interact with Ginny over the next week, both Ron and Hermione noticed a significant change in his moods. He had always been moody and easily agitated to a certain extent, but now it took only the slightest of comments or actions to throw him over the edge.

He was constantly snapping at his friends and losing concentration during Quidditch; Ron was worried that he might need to substitute Ginny as the Seeker for their first match if Harry did not improve by then. The first and second years all left the common room whenever he would come in, worried that they might be hexed to oblivion if they got in his way.

The last straw was on a Thursday night after dinner. Harry had so eloquently suggested to Collin Creevey where he might stick his camera after the younger boy had asked if he would like to play Gobstones. Collin had hurried off with a horrified and terribly wounded look on his face, causing Hermione to put a stop to it.

'Harry! What do you think you're doing!' she screamed in the middle of the common room, clearly not worried about what the other Gryffindors might think. If anything they would agree and perhaps help her. The few present in the room all stared in shock at the bushy-haired Prefect that was always sitting under the window working endlessly through her homework.

'Collin did nothing wrong. All he did was ask you to play a game of Gobstones. It's one thing for you to treat Ron and me like that, as much as we love it, but that was completely uncalled for!'

Ron and Ginny sat at the table under the window, Ron looking at the window hangings and Ginny staring at the ceiling so not to catch Harry's eye.

'You're acting as though,' she paused for moment and Harry could see the anger in her face, 'as though you were Malfoy!'

Silence rang through the air for a second while everyone in the common room gaped at her. Ron's jaw had dropped and he was staring at Hermione in shock. Neville and Marc were sitting in in armchairs by the fire and were now openly gaping at Hermione as well. The only person to seem unopposed to this comparison was Ginny. She sat in her seat and looked blankly at the fighting pair. She had also had enough of the brooding boy's behaviour recently.

Hermione was now standing in front of Harry with a faltering expression of anger on her face. It was evident that she regretted what she had said, and even more evident that she refused to take it back.

Harry just stared at her for a moment and let her comment sink in. His face contorted in disgust as he too stood up and stared her in the eye.

'You take that back!' he said in a low, menacing growl, very much like that of Malfoy's.

Hermione stood her ground and shook her head firmly, but her eyes betrayed her as they started to fill with tears. 'You're not acting like yourself Harry. I'm worried,' she said weakly, blinking back her unshed tears.

Harry looked around to his friends, knowing that Ron, Neville and Marc would surely back him up. He found that he was wrong as each of the boys slowly turned away from him, Ron looking sick to his stomach as he did.

'Fine then,' Harry said loudly and started to walk toward the dormitory stairs. 'You want Malfoy, I'll show you Malfoy.'

Hermione stepped forward and grabbed his arm to stop him, "Harry wait-' But she could not finish because Harry whirled around and fixed an icy glare on her.

'Get your hands off me, Granger.'

Harry watched as she let go quickly with a whimper and the tears brimming in her eyes began to flow down her cheeks. He turned away from her and started up the stairs to his dormitory, knowing that what he had just done had probably been the worst insult Hermione had ever received. He cringed as he heard Ron trying to comfort her and the porthole slam shut as she ran out of the common room.

Harry laid down on his bed and pulled the hangings tightly around him, not wanting to be bothered by any of the people who called themselves his friends. He laid thinking for a while about everything that had happened to make him act the way he had. The worst part of it all was that he knew he was wrong, that Collin had not deserved to be snapped at, and that Hermione most certainly did not deserve what she got.

It was for the best though. He had decided that morning that it was what needed to be done. He did not like the idea of Ron and Hermione hating him, but at least if they were not his friends, they could not be hurt when the attacks began. It was only a matter of time before they did. Halloween was just over a week away, and Harry felt certain that Voldemort would soon make his move. He could not prevent the attack, but he could and would keep his friends out of the line of fire.

Harry started to think of what tomorrow would be like, whether Ron and Hermione would hex him or perhaps ignore him all together, when he heard someone clearing their throat just on the other side of his hangings. He pulled them aside to reveal Neville, standing awkwardly at the edge of his bed, rocking his weight back and forth as he stared at Harry.

There was no distinguishable emotion written on the blond boy's features and Harry was unsure of what to make of him. This would be the first time he could remember Neville seeking him out at school and starting a conversation.

'Listen Neville,' he started calmly, 'I'm sure you think I'm an idiot and hate me, and think I'm terrible for what I said to Hermione and Collin, but-'

'I know what you're doing,' Neville interrupted him quietly in his regular shy voice. 'And you're right about it being terrible.'

'What?' Harry said to him, sitting up to see the boy a little more clearly.

'I said I know what you're doing. You're trying to keep Ron and Hermione safe by keeping them away from you.' He said this nervously and in a shaky and unsteady voice.

Harry just stared at Neville, unsure of what to say. How had he known? 'It won't work you know. Voldemort already knows who they are, and he definitely knows how much they mean to you. No matter what you do, they won't be safe.'

Harry sighed and leaned back in his bed again. Neville was right; there was absolutely no way to protect his friends, and now he probably didn't have any. 'Neville, I'm sure you mean well, but you really have no idea what you're talking about.'

'Don't I?' Neville said in a now firm voice, with an eyebrow raised. 'You forget, Harry, that I too was born as the seventh month died.'

Harry sat up again and stared intensely at Neville Longbottom, the cowardly boy who would sooner hide in a broom closet than face his grandmother. Now he was quoting a line of Harry's prophecy, every hint of uncertainty gone. How could he have known? Before Harry could question him, he began to speak again, this time with very little emotion and no sign of happiness.

'There is one thing we agree upon though Harry. You're friends are in danger no matter what. The problem is not that we care for you enough that we will stand behind you until the very end. It is that a war is coming, and it is not just for you. There have been casualties along the way, and I'm sorry to say that you were not the only one left orphaned. This is our war and until you see that, I'm afraid I have to agree with you. You are an idiot'

With that said, he turned on his heel and headed silently back down to the common room, leaving Harry sitting in the dark feeling more foolish than he ever had before.

The next morning Harry awoke to unfamiliar surroundings. Everything was bright and clean and the sterile smell of St. Mungos lingered in the air. It took him several moments to remember that he had come to the hospital wing last night under his invisibility cloak. Not wanting to face any of his roommates, he decided that Madam Pomfrey would easily give him a Dreamless Sleep potion and he could worry about his friends, or the lack there of, the next morning after an uninterrupted sleep.

He got out of bed and looked around for any indication of what time it might be. He spotted a small clock on Madam Pomfrey's desk and read half past eight. That left him plenty of time to get ready and get to Transfiguration in time. He thanked the stars that it was Friday and that he would not have Snape today, as he would most likely do everything in his power to worsen Harry's situation.

He dressed quickly and explained to Madam Pomfrey that he was feeling much better, before thanking her for the potion and heading toward the Transfiguration classroom. Upon entering, he found that he was the first one to arrive and did not like the idea of waiting in a quiet room for Ron and Hermione to enter and ignore him. Instead he walked directly to the front of the room and struck up a conversation with professor McGonagall, who still seemed to be grading the seventh year papers he had seen six weeks ago.

'I'm not entirely certain of what might be causing the halt in your training,' she answered him thoughtfully as they tried to figure out what had caused the sudden lack of progress. 'This has never happened before now and suddenly it seems to be a normality,' she mumbled to herself in frustration.

'What do you mean a normality?' Harry asked, not understanding what the tight-lipped professor meant.

'Oh, uh, nothing Potter,' she said in surprise, as though just realising that he was in the room, 'I just meant that for that last few sessions nothing has changed. Now take your seat before anyone catches on.'

Harry turned to find that most of the students had now entered the classroom and that Ron, Hermione and Neville were among them. Hermione looked pointedly in the opposite direction of where he stood, while Ron just seemed to stare at his desk. Neville on the other hand seemed to have an air of indifference, pulling out his homework assignment and his text as though nothing had occurred between them the night before. Harry was thankful for this as he took his seat next to him and also removed his essay and wand for the lesson.

The lesson flew by today, even though it was a double period, as McGonagall had each student pair off and practice transforming a desk or cabinet into an animal. Harry and Neville in particular found the lesson to be quite entertaining as they both managed to complete the transformations by the end of lesson; Harry's desk becoming a large tortoise and Neville's breaking into a group of penguins. Even McGonagall had smiled when she had seen it. Other than them only a handful of other students had managed to complete the task.

When the end of lesson bell rang, Harry started to clear up his things and told Neville that he would see him in Defense after lunch, but the blond boy would not allow it.

'You can't skip lunch too, Harry. Besides, Dumbledore said that there would be an important announcement during lunch today.'

Harry tried to protest but finally gave up when it was clear to him that Neville would not. They started to walk to the Great Hall after noticing that Hermione and Ron had already left, clearly not wanting to talk to Harry after the way he had treated them over the past week. On the way to lunch, Harry decided that he was in fact very lucky to have a friend like Neville who could put his differences aside and understand what he was going through, even if he did not have the full story.

'Er, Neville. I just wanted to thank you for what you did last night. I didn't think about what I was saying and you're absolutely right. I had no right-'

'Don't mention it,' he said with a smile. 'What's the point of having friends if they don't tell you when you're being an idiot?' The both laughed at this as they entered the crowded hall and headed for the Gryffindor table.

Hermione had once again ensured that Harry could not sit anywhere near her by having the other Gryffindor sixth years fill the seats around her. Deciding that he did not want to make a scene in front of the whole school, Harry quietly walked to the far end of the table and took a seat across from Gabrielle Delacour and the first year girl called Deidre. He wasn't quite sure what to talk about with the first year girl that he did not as of yet know, but moments after introducing himself, Neville began speaking to her as though they were old friends.

'So, how did professor Sprout like your essay?' he asked the small girl eagerly.

'She loved it! I got an Outstanding, thanks to you,' she cried and reached across the table to hug the older boy. She sat back down and flung her long golden curls over her right shoulder before continuing with her story. 'Everyone in class just sat there amazed as I gave the history of the Devil's Snare.'

'Sprout even gave 'er ten points for ze information,' Gabrielle said smiling broadly at her friend.

'I told you that book would help you. I'm just glad you like Herbology as much as you do.'

'Zank-you for ze book on 'istory of Magic az well, Neville. It 'az 'elped me to understand professor Binns. I will still need help with ze essay eef zat iz alright,' Gabrielle asked him.

'Of course, and make sure you bring your essay Deidre if you want me to look it over. Tell Sarah to do the same.'

Harry just sat in amazement as he watched his friend who he thought he had known surprise him again. Apparently he had not been off doing remedial everything, but helping the first years with their assignments. Harry wondered if he would ever fully understand Neville Longbottom.

His thoughts were interrupted when McGonagall stood at the head table and cleared her throat loudly to get everyone's attention.

'If you would all please listen for just a moment. I have an announcement to make. After discussing it with your newest professor, the teachers have all agreed that you have all been working very hard this term. To reward you for your efforts, we have decided to throw a Halloween ball in lieu of the first Hogsmeade trip. Professor Delacour will be in charge of this event so please if you have any questions, direct them to her. In the mean time, I suggest you find yourself dates before tomorrow night at six o'clock. I'm afraid this event will also be only for fourth years and up.'

There was a small groan from all of the younger students as the professor sat back down and continued to eat her lunch.

'So, 'oo are you going to ask?' Gabrielle asked Neville with a smile. 'And you 'arry?'

Both boys looked at each other for a moment before shrugging.

'I don't know?' Neville answered. "I haven't even had a minute to think about it.'

'Yeah, and I don't think I'll go,' Harry told the girls. 'I'd much rather stay in and read my Defense text, or play a game of wizarding chess.'

As lunch came to an end, Harry and Neville said goodbye to their first year friends and headed out of the Great Hall toward their last class of the week, Defense Against the Dark Arts with professor Black. Harry sat himself down, once again with Neville, and tried his best not to look at Hermione, Ron or Professor Black, as she would probably make some sort of example out of him. Unfortunately, the icy-eyed professor chose to punish a different Gryffindor today, and of all the people she could have chosen, she selected the one that made Harry feel worst.

'Today we will be working on the Morsus Minoris curse. It is a far less painful version of the Morsus Adficio curse, but is still extremely effective. I would like for each of you to read the curse over in your books once again, and then I will have a pair demonstrate it for the class. Remember, the goal is not to kill your opponent, but simply cause them enough pain to stop them from killing you.'

The class gasped at the thought. The professor was actually going to let someone be harmed during the lesson. Harry looked over and noticed a large smirk on Malfoy's smug face. After about half an hour of reading and reviewing the Morsus curse, Black called their attention to the front meaning that it was time to select the students who would act as examples.

'Is there anyone who would like to volunteer, first of all?'

A soft chuckle swept the classroom as most of the students scoffed at the idea. Who would subject themselves to that? A lone hand raised at the back of the room.

'Very well Mr. Malfoy. Since you are the only student brave enough to volunteer, you shall be administering the curse,' she said with a small smile on her face. 'And I think we can find a suitable Gryffindor to be your partner. They are after all the bravest among us, are they not?' Now she stared at Harry without any trace of a smile on her face. Harry took a deep breath, knowing what was to come and started to hoist himself up. He stopped midway when he heard what the professor said next.

'Miss Granger. Please join Mr. Malfoy at the front of the room.' Everyone in the room gasped again, some of them snickering, but most of them feeling terribly bad for her.

Harry watched as she gave Ron a scared glance before planting a look of resolve on her face and walking to the front of the room. She stopped in front of Malfoy and very respectfully bowed the way she was taught to before a duel.

'I'm sorry Miss Granger, you must have misunderstood. This is not a duel, and you are not to defend yourself in any way. In fact, could you please place your wand on my desk until the demonstration is over?'

Ron was now seething in his seat and started to visibly shake when he saw the firm look on Hermione's face falter. She placed her wand on the desk and stepped back in front Malfoy, completely defenseless and unready to be cursed. Professor Black explained to the class what they would see, and while her back was turned Harry watched Malfoy clearly mouth the word Mudblood to Hermione.

'You may now begin,' Professor Black gave the word.

Malfoy raised his wand and smirked as he prepared to do what he had wanted to since his first day at Hogwarts. 'Morsus Minor-'

'EXPELLIARMUS!' Malfoy was thrown back against the blackboard and his wand flew across the room where it landed neatly in Ron's shaking fist.

'Got yourself a girlfriend have you, Weasley?' Malfoy sneered as he stood up and dusted himself off with a grin.

'Mr. Weasley! That will be fifty points from Gryffindor for interrupting my lesson and attacking a fellow student.'

'Yeah, before he attacked an unarmed student.'

'That's enough Mr. Weasley! Ten more points from Gryffindor and a detention tonight in my office at eight o'clock. You have a serious problem with authority and rule breaking. I'll never understand how you became a Prefect!' The Slytherins all snickered.

'That might be so!' Ron shouted at the blonde woman, now standing in the middle of the room. 'But at least I have the courage to attack someone with a wand and a little dignity! That's more than I can say for you!' With that he threw Malfoy's wand at the professor and stalked out of the classroom, slamming the door behind him as he left.

'MR. WEASLEY!' professor Black shouted after him at the top of her lungs. The classroom sat in silence as their petite professor shook with rage at being spoken to like that in front of the entire class. Her generally tight bun was now coming loose and light coloured strands were openly falling into her face.

'Very well,' she said, slowly calming down and turning back toward the front of the room. 'Mr. Malfoy, would you please continue.' He picked up his wand and once again raised it.

'No!' This time Harry was standing. Professor Black smiled in triumph and Hermione looked up at him oddly.

'Yes Mr. Potter? Is there a problem?'

'I'd like to take Hermione's place,' he asked in a way that left little room for argument.

'Very well, Miss Granger would you please take your seat. Another five points from Gryffindor for not completing your task.' Malfoy looked as though Christmas had come early.

Harry walked to the front of the room and placed his wand on the professor's desk. He walked up to Malfoy and bowed majestically while the class watched in silence. Even the Slytherins said nothing. In a second, Malfoy had raised his wand and slashed it downward crying 'Morsus Minoris!'

Harry immediately felt white-hot pain wrack his body. He let out a small grunt and fell to his knees. This was not a great feeling, but next to the Cruciatus, it was a walk in the park. Malfoy finally lifted his wand and ended the curse, looking extremely smug and satisfied with himself and Harry's reaction. Harry looked up to find Hermione with a hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes.

'Very good! You may both take your seats.' Professor Black told the boys. 'Ten points to Slytherin for the perfect execution of the curse.'

Of course he had perfect execution, Harry thought; his father probably taught it to him by age two.

'And forty points to Gryffindor for that incredible show of strength. Mr. Potter here is the first person not to pass out under the pain of the Morsus curse. It shows great strength and a will to survive. I congratulate you,' she said in a firm but respectful tone. The entire class stared at her in disbelief. 'Now there will be no assignment, and do find yourselves dates by tomorrow night or Miss Delacour will have done all this work for nothing. Class dismissed.'

Harry stood at his desk as all the other students piled out the room quickly, so that they could discuss what had just happened as soon as they were out of earshot.

'Can I help you Potter?' she asked as though she had not just subjected him to pain moments before.

'You haven't given me my essay topic yet,' he said through a clenched jaw.

'That'll be fine Potter. I think you've done enough today to earn an Outstanding. I will see you on Monday, and do tell .Mr. Weasley to be here on time tonight.'

That night at dinner, the news of what had happened in Defense class had spread like wildfire across the school. Every student was discussing it, and it even appeared that the professors were interested in the matter as well. McGonagall did not look all too pleased with Professor Black this evening,

Harry once again sat at the end of the Gryffindor table with Neville and the first years, and they all had a greta conversation about chocolate frog cards. It turned out that Neville had quite the collection since he started it eight years ago. Several times during the course of their meal, all of the students would look up and watch as yet another boy walked up to professor Delacour and asked her to go to the dance with them.

Harry laughed when he remembered their fourth year, the look on Ron's face after he had asked Fleur to the Yule ball. He had not meant to, but the Veela in her inexplicably drew the males in the castle to her. It seemed that little had changed since the last time he had seen her. Fleur had always loved the attention, and today was no exception. Harry rolled his eyes.

'I do hope zey give up soon,' Gabrielle said in an annoyed voice. 'I 'ave already been asked by seven people since my last class.'

'But you're a first year. You can't even go?' Harry said curiously.

'I can if ze boy is in fourz year or higher,' she said with a smile.

'You mean fourth years are asking you out?' he said in astonishment.

'Just one. Ze rest were from fifz and six year. You know one of zem no? Ernie from Hufflepuff?'

Neville and Harry laughed at this, agreeing that they would have to make fun of their friend the next time they saw him.

'Are you going to go?' Harry asked the small girl, who as they spoke, twirled her long blond hair with her finger and batted her eyelashes at the Ravenclaw table. She was going to be worse than her sister.

'No. Zere would not be much point. Every boy asks me because zey cannot help it. Eet eez ze Veela. If I go to a dance, I want eet to bee wiz someone who wanted to ask me. I'm just glad my Veela eez not as bad as Fleur's yet,' she finished, and watched with a laugh as Collin Creevey made an attempt at her older sister.

Harry also laughed at seeing the disgusted look on Snape's face every time a student walked up to the staff table. Dumbledore on the hand seemed to find it quite amusing.

After dinner, Harry and Neville walked back to the common room with Gabrielle and Deidre, all talking about what it was like in Hogsmeade village. Harry realized that he would much rather have gone to see the twins' joke shop than step on some poor girl's feet at a dance.

Harry's schedule was cleared this evening when he saw a notice cancelling Quidditch practice, Apparently Ron would be attending his detention with professor Black, leaving little time for him to plan a practice. Sorry that Ron would have to suffer whatever that foul woman had planned for him, Harry decided that he would gat a start on his weekend assignments and then perhaps he could read through some more of his Animagus text to try and find out what was preventing him from completing the transformation.

Harry sat in one of the seats beneath the windows and methodically worked through his essays one at a time, frequently being disturbed by students asking each other to the ball and a small group of second and third year girls moaning about not being able to go.

He found it quite difficult to concentrate as both Hermione and Ginny were sitting by the fire, chatting about their classes, and still completely ignoring him. Harry had listened intently when Hermione told Ginny of how Ron had earned himself a detention, and the way Ginny had smiled warmed him through.

Finally at eleven o'clock, he was just finishing his last assignment, an essay on the disillusionment charm for professor Flitwick, when the porthole opened and an extremely disgruntled Ron walked through. Only he and Hermione were left in the common room, Harry at the table and Hermione in front of the fire with her Ancient Runes text.

Ron looked around the room and his eyes rested on Harry for a moment before turning to Hermione. 'Uh, Hermione. Could I talk to you for a minute? In private.'

She started to get up but stopped when Harry stood up instead. 'I can take a hint,' he said darkly, and collected his things before going up to his dormitory. Once there, he sat on the edge of his bed and chuckled at the lazy snores emanating from behind Neville's hangings.

Harry decided that he was not tired and looked around for something to do. Then he decided that he would not stay up here just because Ron wanted to talk to Hermione without him there. He grabbed his invisibility cloak and headed back down the stairs, intending to go to the kitchens for a snack. All of the essay writing had depleted his energy and cheerfulness as well; both things that could be fixed by a slice of gooseberry pie and a butterbeer.

He crept down the stairs slowly and emerged into the common room, completely covered by the invisibility cloak. He did not want the pair to think that he was watching them. He looked over and noticed that they were both sitting in front of the fire now and that Ron in particular looked extremely ill. He took a step closer, just to make sure that his best friend was alright.

'I was just wonderin' Hermione,' Ron was saying in a shaky voice, 'You know if maybe you wanted to, because it would be alright if you didn't. Yeah it'd be ok. But if you wanted to go to the ball with me, that'd be alright.'

Harry just gaped at his friend. He had finally done it. Harry had known since his fourth year that Ron had liked Hermione, but he didn't think he would ever gat up the courage to do anything about it. And the way they always fought, well, Harry knew that Hermione must have liked Ron as well. He looked over to her and was shocked to see the look on her face.

She now looked sicker than Ron had. A horrified expression lay on her face as her eyes darted around to try and find something to say.

'Oh Ron,' she started, 'I would but I can't. I've already said yes to someone else.'

Harry's heart sank with a thud into his stomach. Ron would be crushed. He knew the feeling of being too late to ask someone to the ball. He had experienced the same thing with Cho in fourth year.

'Oh. Well that's alright,' Ron said quickly standing up and starting to back away so that Harry could not see his face. 'I said it was alright if you didn't want to. I figured you wouldn't, but I thought I'd ask anyway.'

'No Ron.' Hermione said, looking more sorry than Harry had ever seen her look before, 'If Roger hadn't asked me before dinner-'

'Roger!' Ron said, and Harry could now see the look on his face. It was the look of someone who had been betrayed. Behind the anger, Harry could see that he was wounded far more than Hermione had been the night before, and it was not likely that he would get over it any time soon.

Ron turned without another word and ran up the stairway to the boys' dormitory, leaving Hermione in front of the fire, her face glowing in the light from the fire and tears in her eyes glistening as tried to hold them back.

Harry just shook his head as he made his way for the porthole. He couldn't believe what had happened. The trio was no more.

The next morning Harry awoke early, still not wanting to face Ron, especially now that he would probably be more depressed than he ever had been. He got dressed and went down to the Great Hall hoping that there would be someone who didn't hate him that he could sit with.

Upon entering the large room, he found that many students had woken early this Saturday, and put it on account of the ball being so near. Only Ginny and Dean were sitting at the Gryffindor table, and Harry decided that he didn't particularly want to sit with them, so he turned around and started to head back out.

'Harry!' he heard a girl's voice call him from off to the left. He turned to find Cho waving at him from the Ravenclaw table, where she sat alone with Luna Lovegood. 'Come sit with us,' she called again.

Harry thought about it for a moment, and finally decided that he was extremely hungry and that it couldn't cause much harm. He strode over to the table and sat down across from the girls. He was surprised to find that a cushioning charm had been placed on the tables' benches. Why had the Gryffindors never thought of that? Then again, the Ravenclaws were chosen for their cleverness.

'Hello Cho, Luna. How are you?'

'I'm good Harry, how are you? Are you finding the sixth year courses difficult to keep up with? I know my N.E.W.T.'s are killer,' Cho said as she took a sip of pumpkin juice.

'They're alright,' Harry lied, 'but I am a little tired,' he admitted with a crooked smile.

'I noticed,' Luna said in her regular dreamy voice, 'You've missed breakfast a few times in the past week.'

Harry laughed, 'I didn't know anyone was keeping track.' Luna said nothing but went back to reading a copy of the Quibbler magazine upside down, her head bobbing back and forth as she did, causing her large turnip earrings to act as baubles.

So, what's new with you Cho?' Harry asked, starting to pile some eggs and bacon onto a plate in front of him 'Are you ready for the first Quidditch match next Saturday.'

Cho smiled at him and chuckled. "I knew you wouldn't be able to leave that alone,' she said. 'Yeah I think we are. We have a great team and a great captain this year.'

'Really, who's that?' Harry asked around a mouthful of potato.

'Me,' she said with a smirk. Harry choked on his potato and started to cough. 'I'm not that bad,' Cho joked.

'No, no,' Harry said. 'I think it's great. Congratulations! We have a great team this year too, and Ron's captain. He's doing a great job!'

They continued to talk and laugh for about half an hour until Harry noticed that most of the students had now entered the hall and many of them were staring oddly at a Gryffindor eating at the Ravenclaw table. Ginny kept looking over at him, and Malfoy seemed to have a keen interest as well.

Up at the staff table, professor's McGonagall and Flitwick seemed to be having quite the discussion about it, as the tiny professor repeatedly pointed his hand in Harry's direction several times in a two minute span.

'Well, I think I had better be going then,' Harry said with a grin, and Cho looked around before grinning back.

'Sounds like a good idea,' she agreed. 'Before you go though Harry, will you be going to the ball?'

Harry froze. He had thought that Cho was over him, and he definitely did not want her to ask him out in front of the whole school. He had decided not to go, and now it looked like he would get stuck going with Cho.

'Uh, no. I don't feel much like dancing today. I think I'll stay in and read up on my transfiguration. Like you said, it's killer.'

Cho looked slightly disappointed but did not press the matter further. She said goodbye and told him that they should have breakfast together more often. Harry agreed and called a quick goodbye to Luna before heading off to meet Lupin for their next training session.

He walked down the seventh floor corridor toward the Room of Requirements, thoughts of Cho and the dance swirling through his mind. If he hadn't said no to her, would she have asked him to go the dance? Perhaps he was simply being egotistical, and she had not intended to ask him out, but was just being polite and making conversation. She did seem far more collected than the last time Harry had been on a date with her. Perhaps she had finally dealt with Cedric's death and was looking to move on ... with him.

Harry walked into the Room of Requirements, now looking exactly the way it had during his fifth year for DA meetings. Everything was back to exactly the way it had been, down to every last book and even the cracked foe glass that had hung in the imposter Moody's office. Lupin sat waiting for him, an impossibly large text laying open on the table in front him as he scanned it's contents. He looked up when he heard Harry come in.

'How are you today Harry?' he asked as he walked over to join him in the middle of the room. Harry shrugged and pulled out his wand to begin. 'Still haven't patched things up with Ron and Hermione then.' He said this as more of statement than a question.

Harry still stood with his wand outstretched and ready in his dueling stance. Understanding that it was not up for discussion, Lupin decided to start the session with a 'Tarantallegra!' which Harry easily avoided before sending back the Inverso jinx, flipping Lupin onto the ceiling.

The dueling continued for the next hour, both of them continuously besting one another until finally Harry called out Morsus Minoris and watched as Lupin dropped his wand and cried out in pain. He immediately stopped the curse and ran over to Lupin.

'Are you alright professor?' he asked in a worried voice, 'I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking.'

'Where did you learn that curse?' he asked him in a slow and laboured voice, turning his eyes up to Harry.

'Professor Black had Malfoy use it on me yesterday in class,' he said as though it was obvious.

'SHE DID WHAT!' Lupin cried in the angriest voice Harry had heard him use.

'It's alright, it was for a demonstration. I'm not hurt,' Harry the hysteric man, who was now collecting his wand and his briefcase.

'You can go now Harry,' he said firmly. 'I have something to take care of.' Before Harry could protest, Lupin had stormed from the room and the door shut behind him once more.

Neville spent the day helping the first year girls with their essays, leaving Harry with no one to talk to. This happened to suit him fine, as there were still several assignments and lessons that he could read ahead in and hopefully master some more of the wand movements as well.

He also took his chance to apologise to Collin Creevey for his dreadful behaviour the other night. Collin was more than pleased to accept and started to ask if he wanted to play Gobstones before deciding that he better not press his luck. Harry just laughed at the boy, and told him perhaps later.

Hermione had once again spent the day in front of the fireplace, writing away feverishly at her essays and reading through text after text. She looked distracted and repeatedly looked over her shoulder whenever the portrait swung open to admit someone. As far as he could tell, Ron had not yet returned to the common room from this morning's breakfast.

Finally at about one o'clock, Ron, Parvati, Lavender, and Neville all came strolling through the porthole laughing and talking about Peeves' latest gag: splashing out of the twins' memorial swamp as students passed by, effectively coating them in thick green swamp sludge.

Neville immediately came to sit with him and told him how Hannah Abbot would most likely not be at dinner because she would be too busy trying to clean her hair of sludge for the dance. Harry laughed with him before noticing that everyone was here except for one person.

'You haven't seen Marc in class have you, Collin?' Harry asked.

'No Harry, he wasn't there after lunch again. Sorry, Harry!' he said before turning to take a snapshot of the five first year girls all together.

Harry assumed that he had gone to visit his aunt again, and hoped that she was doing better. He would have to ask him why she was in St. Mungos.

Harry and Neville both watched now as Hermione got up from her seat and went over to where, Ron was sitting with Lavender, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Parvati.

'Ron, could I talk to you for a moment?' she said quietly and motioned toward the other side of the room.

'Go ahead,' Ron said, clearly not getting up to move anywhere.

'Oh, well, I just wanted to tell you that Luna has agreed to go to the ball with you if you'd like.' She said this with an encouraging smile and waited to hear his answer.

'That's nice Hermione, but I've already found a date,' he said coolly.

'With who?' she asked incredulous, her hands now on her hips.

'With me,' Parvati said standing and walking over to sit next to him. 'He asked me this morning after breakfast. I didn't think he'd ever ask.'

'Well, I hope you two have a wonderful time,' Hermione said tersely before storming up the stairs and everyone heard as a door slammed loudly.

That night dinner had been moved up to four o'clock to allow for the set up of the ball. Harry walked down with Neville and Collin, all of them talking about how much they disliked their defense professor. Neville told Harry that Ron had heard about how he had taken Hermione's place, and that he wasn't truly angry with him anymore, but simply bothered that he could say something so terrible to Hermione.

They all sat down and started to eat. Collin talked about how excited he was to be going to the ball, and that he had finally asked Padma Patil, who had said yes immediately. He went on about how he hoped the hall would be decorated so that he could snap as many photos as was possible. Neville on the other hand said little and Harry got the idea that like him, he would not be attending.

Ron finally joined the table and for the first time in two days, looked over at Harry and genuinely smiled. Harry smiled back and gave a small laugh, more out of relief than anything.

It appeared that Hermione would not be joining them for dinner, as she was either getting ready for the ball or simply too angry to be near either of them.

Harry chanced a quick word with Ron and said that thought it was great that he was going with Parvati. Ron shrugged his shoulders but became bright red in the ears.

'Who are you going with?' he asked Harry, and waited for the likely response of Cho Chang. He looked surprised when Harry told him he was not attending.

Harry stood to return to the common room when he had finished eating, telling Neville and Ron that he would see them later. They both waved him off and he started to make his way out. He stopped when he heard his name called out across the hall, the way it had been that morning.

Turning around, he expected to find Cho calling him over but was surprised when he saw Fleur walking across the hall toward him. The hall had gone silent as every male in the room watched her progress toward the boy-who-lived.

''arry,' she said when she finally reached him in the middle of all the tables.

'Hi Fleur,' he said, wondering if perhaps she needed help decorating the hall, or maybe he had forgotten to hand in a Charms assignment.

'Are you ztill not goeeng to ze ball?' she asked, and flipped a strand of her long silvery hair over her shoulder. Even the girls were watching them now.

'Er, no. I didn't find a date.' He lied, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She had after all set up the whole affair.

'Good. I waz 'oping you would like to go wiz me?' she said matter-of-factly.

Harry just stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to think. Then as though it was out of his control, he said yes.

'Good, you can come and get me outside ze teacher's quarters at a quarter to six.' With that she leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek, before turning and heading out of the hall. Every head watched her as she left and then snapped back onto him once she had.

He just stood there unsure of what to think. He held a hand to his cheek and stared over at Ron and Neville, both of whom were now slack-jawed. Then they started to laugh, and he walked back to the table to find out what their problem was.

'What exactly is so funny?' he said, slightly embarrassed that the whole school had witnessed Fleur's display of affection.

'Oh, it's nothing Harry,' Neville told him, 'Ron and I just discussed it, and it would appear as though you just received your first French kiss.'


	14. Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor

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A/N: Hello everyone! Finally I have another chapter for you and I hope you all enjoy it. I keep getting distracted and forget to update, so I'll try and be quicker. I've tried to answer as many of the questions asked as I could, but I refuse to give away any surprises. I hope this helps a bit. Well take care everyone and please leave me a review when you're done to let me know what you thought. Kyle : D**

**Tanydwr**: Thank you so much for pointing that out! I knew I'd chosen Tonks for a reason, lol. Black is an interesting character, but I'm not ready to let her out of the bag yet. Sorry : D

**Ender 74361**: Glad you're enjoying it so much, and kudos to you for knowing the Dursleys would have a witch! Unfortunately I have to have some calm ended chapters or the cliffies wouldn't be as effective, lol. But don't worry, there are some pretty evil cliffies coming up … I promise. : D LOL! Korny? Thought it was clever, lol. Unfortunately I am a Harry/Ginny, but she was pissing me off all of a sudden so I thought I'd make her suffer a little. Sorry, lol.

**Hands Off**: Hey! I'm happy you like it so far, but what did you mean by Harry pulling a lark Kent? I couldn't figure it out. Take care and let me know if you can. : D

**Queen-of-monkey-magic**: You're very welcome! I'm glad I could make you react in such a great way. I also loved the idea of Petunia squeezing something magical out, lol.

**Inappropriate Goat**: Hi there. You have some pretty cool ideas of what might be happening, but I'm afraid if I answered them I would take the surprise away from everything. I know it must be frustrating so all I'll say is that you're not wrong about everything : D

**SlytherinFan15**: Hello again! As for Time Turner rules and such I'm not sure exactly how things work for certain but I think Rowling has said that wizards have accidentally gone and come back through time, although that could have been some other way. Either way, I do something a little different and you'll see what I man when it happens. : D Your story is so great by the way!

**Dark Huntress:** Yes, this chap was more of a bridge than anything. All that stuff needed to happen, but I needed something a bit slower before the next couple of chaps. : D

**Captain J 737:** Glad you're liking it so far. Neville's my absolute favorite character so I couldn't leave him on the sidelines, especially after his involvement in fifth year. I think Rowling had big plans for the shy Gryffindor. : D

**Poemzie the Phoenix:** Wow! Thank you so much. That's probably the best compliment I could get! I most certainly will reunite the trio, but I like to work with moody Harry every once in a while, you know, get his self-pity going, lol. Cho will not be happy, that's for sure. : D

**Fhippogriff**: Hey! Actually yes, I checked the lengths of all the books, and so far it's actually nearing the length of Order of the Phoenix (258000) I'm currently at Ch. 25: 226000. Just a few more chaps and I'll pass it. It's good to know I'm not the only fan who knows these things, lol. Thanks again for reviewing. : D

**Calliopeia's crown**: I'm glad you could review! I love them so much and they make it all worth it. Kisses right back at you : D

**Coventina**: I'm happy you like the chaps so far, and that you like Marc's character. I think most people are split half and half as it lies. I most certainly will explain everything eventually, however some things must wait until the end, lol. : D

**Nightwing 509**: I enjoy reading your reviews, and I can always count on one almost as soon as I update. Thanks for sticking with me, it means a lot : D Kyle

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**Chapter 14: Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor**

Harry sat back down at the Gryffindor table and looked around to see how everyone had reacted. As he had expected he found most of the girls talking excitedly in hushed whispers to one another, every now and then throwing a glance or a smile his way. The guys on the other hand were not so discrete, openly talking about Harry's obvious flaws and the injustices of being turned down for him.

Harry shook his head and stood up to leave, and in doing so he took note of something he had not expected. Cho sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table, oblivious to the discussions around her as she stared at her dinner plate. She looked almost in tears, a look Harry was all too familiar with. As he started to make his way across the hall, Cho looked up at him briefly with a hurt look on her face before looking away and getting up to leave herself.

Harry felt terrible. He had made a point of telling Cho that he would not be attending the ball, and then hours before it began, accepted a date right in front of her and in front of the whole school. Why had he accepted? He didn't even want to go to the ruddy ball, and especially not with Fleur. All she ever did was attract attention to herself, which undoubtedly meant that he would be dragged into the limelight as well. As he walked out of the hall, he tried to look only at the entrance door upon noticing the menacing looks he was getting from a group of seventh year Ravenclaws.

He made his way back to the common room still trying to figure out where he had gone wrong. He had not meant to say yes to Fleur, and yet he had felt compelled to. Then he realised something. 'She used her Veela on me!' he said aloud in disbelief. 'I cannot believe her!'

He stormed through the round room, not bothering to say hello to anyone sitting around, and went up the stairs to his dormitory intent on staying there for the remainder of the evening. If Fleur wanted to play games, he could more than easily play along. Then he decided against it when he imagined the look of embarrassment on her face if she had to show up to the ball alone. After her display in the Great Hall, the entire school would be expecting him to show up with her, and he did not have it in him to make her feel foolish. He knew what that felt like.

The decision to go was soon followed by a plethora of others as Ron practically ran into the room and rushed toward his trunk.

'Are you almost ready Harry? We don't want to be late. Especially you since you have to pick her up early.'

Harry realised that he didn't have any appropriate dress robes for the occasion and wasn't sure what to do about it, so he grunted miserably instead. The ones from his fourth year were far too short for him now, and there was not nearly enough time to order a new pair.

'Here, hold them up,' Ron said, 'I'll show you a quick charm to lengthen them for a while. It's not permanent but it will have to do until you can get a new pair.'

Harry pulled his wrinkled navy blue dress robes out of his trunk and watched as Ron waved his wand lazily at the bottom hem shouting 'Engorgio Momentias!' The robes lengthened several inches before Harry laid them down on the bed and tried his best to smooth out the wrinkles.

'This is hopeless. The last time I took them out of the trunk was for the Yule ball in fourth year.'

Ron scrunched up his face at the memory, and then threw his robes over his head and let them drop into place, 'Well what do you think, presentable?'

Harry looked over at him and smiled. He was wearing a new set of high quality forest green robes, just the right size, and clearly not a pair of hand-me-downs. 'Yeah, those are great! Where did you get them?' he inquired of the new robes with a small grin, knowing full well that the twins had purchased them for him with the Tri-wizard earnings he had given them.

'The twins,' Ron said with a look of disbelief on his face. 'I don't know why, but I'm glad they did it. Do you remember my old ones?'

Harry tried to feign ignorance, shrugging his shoulders and pretending as though they were not half as hideous as they actually were.

'Mind you, I do still think these ones will blow up on me or something. Probably right in the middle of the dance floor, leaving me in my under shorts.' Harry laughed at this, but the look on Ron's face was extremely grave.

The next step was for Harry to try and tame his hair, bringing him into the bathroom where he stood in front of the mirror with a large brush. He knew that there was nothing that could be done to flatten it, but still he tried his best to hold it down with his hands. Finally satisfied, although the mirror was not, he left the washroom, feeling as prepared as he could for an evening of what would surely prove to be excruciatingly boring.

At five thirty, he said goodbye to Ron, telling him that he would meet up with him later, and that they should try to get seats at the same table. He started to make his way down to the common room when he realised something that he should have earlier on. He was not sure where to pick Fleur up.

She had said outside the staff quarters, but for all the galleons in the world, Harry would not know where to look for them. He ran back up to the dormitory and asked Ron if he knew where they were, perhaps having been told on account of his being a Prefect.

'No, sorry mate. I don't think they want us knowing where they live,' he laughed. 'Could you imagine if the Twins had found out where Snape slept? It would have been disastrous!'

Harry laughed at the thought, knowing that they would have found some diabolical scheme to infuriate the greasy professor beyond all reason.

'Why don't you try using your map?' Ron suggested, and Harry kicked himself for not having thought of it on his own.

He pulled out the old folded parchment and quickly tapped it with his wand, saying 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' Instantly the familiar hallways and classrooms began to appear on the yellowing parchment, hundreds of tiny labelled dots appearing as well. He searched quickly for any signs of professors grouped together, hopefully indicating their quarters. Unfortunately, they all seemed to be in their offices, or still down in the Great Hall helping with the preparations.

He was about to give up when he saw a small dot labelled Fleur Delacour pacing back and forth in a small room on the sixth floor. Scanning the area, he found that professor Sprout's dot was also present in a room just next to hers. This must have been it, he decided, and pocketed the map so that he could use it again if he got lost, before making his way back out of the common room.

Harry found himself on the sixth floor much sooner than he wanted to be, and standing in front of a large stationary painting of Hogwarts' Founders. 'Should've known,' he said to himself as he raised an arm and knocked loudly on the frame. A few moments later, he heard someone bustling from behind the portrait and was surprised to find professor Sprout swinging it forward.

'Forgotten the password again Filius-' she stopped when she saw Harry. 'Potter? What are you doing here? You're not to know where the professor's quarters are.'

'I'm sorry professor. But professor Delacour asked me to come and get her for the ball,' he said quietly, turning slightly red in the cheeks. 'I didn't tell anyone though,' he added quickly, hoping this would alleviate her worries.

She took a step out and looked around behind him to ensure that no others had followed him.

'Very well, come in quickly. I don't want anyone else to see where we are. It's the only peace we get you know.'

Harry followed her down a narrow but comfortable hallway lit by torches similar to those in the Room of Requirement. They stopped in front of the second door to the right and professor Sprout told him to be quick about it, and not to tell anyone that she had permitted him to enter, before heading off to the next door and disappearing into her room.

Harry knocked on the door and waited nervously before hearing 'Come een,' and pushed the door open. He gasped when he saw Fleur's quarters, deciding that they were definitely rooms worthy of being attached to the Prefects bathroom.

His eyes wandered around the room, starting at the swirling marble floors and travelling up the tapestry adorned walls, and then finally landing on a magnificent crystal chandelier, hanging in what he assumed was her main sitting area. Everything was in shades of blue and bordered in silver, giving off a real ethereal glow. Should have expected it, he thought to himself again as he looked across the room to find Fleur standing in the middle of the living area and having a conversation with a floor length mirror.

'You look wonderful dear,' it was telling her, but she refused to listen and started to fidget with the long violet sleeves of her dress robes.

'I zink I should wear ze ozair one,' she said finally, turning toward what Harry assumed was her bedroom at the back of the quarters. 'I will be right zair 'arry,' she called before closing the door behind her.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry watched from his new position on Fleur's sofa, as the bedroom door opened and Fleur stepped out in an outfit like no other he had ever seen. He had been ready to tell her off for making him wait so long, but upon seeing her, his jaw went slack and his mind sort of fuzzy.

Fleur laughed at seeing this. 'So you like eet zen?' she said, fluttering her eyelashes.

Fleur had somehow turned a traditional pair of dress robes into an off the shoulder gown, fit for royalty. The flowing baby blue robes were held over her right shoulder with a large shining clasp, and left open in the front to expose a more figure fitting silver dress beneath. Harry continued to gape. He had never seen anything quite like it, and was certain that she would earn many appreciative gawks during the ball.

It looked as though she had simply pulled her hair up loosely onto the top of her head and pinned it with another silver clasp, yet it looked fantastic. Harry could not help but wonder why he had felt apprehensive about going with her. Then he remembered.

'Fleur!' he said firmly, 'You have to stop this.' He set a stern look on his face and looked into her glinting eyes, now filled with confusion.

'Stop what 'arry?' she sounded genuinely confused. 'Do you not like ze dress? I can change eef you like?'

'No, that's not what I meant. I meant the Veela. I know it's how you got me to say yes today in the Great Hall.'

Fleur's smile instantly vanished, to be replaced with a look of hurt. She looked crushed. 'I deed not use ze Veela 'arry. I just asked you, just me,' she said to him, turning her eyes away now.

'You could have picked anyone else. There were tons of other boys who asked you, and I watched you turn them down. Besides, what if I had already had a date, and you made me say yes to you in front of the whole school? Do you not think of anyone's feelings but your own?' Harry said, anger now evident in his voice.

'I was waiting to ask you,' Fleur said, quieter now.

'I'm sure you were. I am the one person who could get you more attention,' he said loudly, not thinking of how rude it might have sounded.

Fleur's eyes were now filling with tears. 'That is not why,' she said, her bottom lip quivering slightly, 'I said no to zee ozair boys because zey are attracted by zee Veela. You are not. I remember ze last time I was here. You barely even looked at me.'

Harry thought about this and realised that she was right. Ron had been affected but he had barely given her a second glance.

'And I knew zat you deed not 'ave a date, because I 'ad Gabrielle ask you. I do not want to go to ze ball weez someone under a spell. But I do not want to go weez someone who zinks I need zee attention. Goodbye 'arry,' she said with one last quivering word before turning back toward her bedroom.

'No. Fleur, wait!' he called and ran over to where she was. 'I'm sorry! I shouldn't have assumed that. It was wrong of me.' He felt terrible now. Everything she had said had been true; she had actually asked him because she wanted to, and now he had gone and accused her of being an attention seeking date stealer. 'Please come to the ball with me. I don't know what I was thinking, of course you were right.'

He thought about what an idiot he was around girls. Especially the one's that seemed to like him. After a few more minutes of calming and coercion, to his relief, Harry and Fleur were walking down the sixth floor corridor and toward the Great Hall.

As they reached the edge of the entrance hall, Harry saw a large group of students crowded outside the doors to the Great Hall, some wearing the traditional dress robes and some taking a more original chance by wearing Muggle style gowns. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were standing at the doors being sure to mark off each student's name on a list as they walked through the doors.

They started to make their way down the stairs, Fleur's hand holding onto Harry's arm as she walked gracefully. Harry could see Padma Patil and Collin Creevey standing in line outside the doors. In front of them, just going through the doors was Marc, a very excited looking Hannah Abbot hanging on his arm. Harry smiled. He had not thought to ask with whom Marc was going.

Looking around as they approached the doors, Harry realized that his little outburst with Fleur had caused them to be the last one's to arrive.

'Ahh, Mr. Potter and Ms. Delacour,' professor Flitwick said cheerily as he checked them off his list.

'Everything looks wonderful Fleur,' McGonagall said, complimenting the decor of the Great Hall. 'And you look absolutely amazing.'

'Zank you Minerva. You look very nice as well' Fleur said politely, before she started to drag Harry through the doors.

As soon as they were through the large archway, people started to look their way, just as Harry knew that they would. He tried to ignore them, but it was difficult as they were not so much looking, but staring at his date.

The conventional house tables had all been removed and were now replaced by dozens of smaller round tables, each equipped to hold six couples.

Harry looked around the hall, admiring the excellent job Fleur had done in decorating with only a day's notice. The enchanted ceiling was not depicting the overcast sky that could be seen outside but was instead a slowly swirling navy sky, dotted with gleaming stars and a large blue crescent moon. Jack-O-lanterns hung in the air in the place of the regular candles, allowing a flickering orange glow to be cast over the many tables in the room, and the house banners were now replaced by floating ice sculptures. Harry laughed when he saw Peeves stuck to one of them by his tongue.

Finally, Harry noticed Ron waving at him from a table in the middle of the room. He and Fleur started to make their way over to them, and found that there were two seats saved for them at the table. Harry pulled out Fleur's chair for her before taking a seat himself and looking at who they would be spending the evening with.

So far he and Fleur would be sharing with Ron and Parvati, Lavender and Seamus, Marc and Hannah and to his dismay, Ginny and Dean. Two seats still sat empty, and Harry figured that they would soon be occupied by Roger and Hermione. He groaned at the thought of the evening becoming even more uncomfortable once Hermione showed up with the Head Boy. Not only did he not make up with her yet, but now he would have to see the tension between her and Ron as well. Between that and the pointed glares he had been getting from Ginny all week, Harry was seriously beginning to regret this decision.

Hannah, the only person from a different house other than Fleur, decided to strike up a conversation. It was quite obvious that she did not mind sitting with the Gryffindor crowd as she laughed and joked with everyone around her.

'So, why isn't Hermione sitting with us? I thought for sure she would, I mean we saved seats,' she said casually.

Harry looked to Ron before answering. 'I'm sure she's just running a little late. She should be here soon.'

'What do you mean? She's sitting right over there with Roger and the other Ravenclaws,' Hannah said, pointing across the hall.

Ron whipped his head around quickly and Harry followed Hannah's point across the room. Sure enough, there was Hermione, sitting next to Roger and laughing as he placed his arm around her bare shoulders. Harry could see the red in Ron's face start to rise, but Parvati apparently did not take notice, as she was too busy staring at Hermione.

'Wow! She looks really nice tonight. I wonder how she gets her hair like that?' she said in awe.

'We'll have to ask her later,' Lavender added in agreement.

Harry looked over again and had to admit that she did look good. She had evidently bought a new Muggle gown in a vibrant lilac colour, and Parvati was right in mentioning her hair. She must have asked Penelope how to do it, as it was almost exactly the way she had done it for her wedding, soft curling locks pulled atop her head, only a few glistening strands framing her face and falling down the nape of her neck.

He started to look away when he noticed who Hermione was talking to. He was shocked to see that she was having a civilized conversation with Cho, and that neither of them looked even the slightest bit uncomfortable or upset. He was about to point this out to Ron, but before he could, professor McGonagall had stepped up to the front of the hall and was clearing her throat loudly to get their attentions.

'We will soon be starting the festivities,' she said loudly, and almost instantly the students fell silent. 'Before we start with the meal, I would like to compliment the wonderful decor and ask that you all give a warm thank you to professor Delacour for organizing it.' The students all clapped loudly for Fleur, who stood up and made a small curtsy.

'Now to start the ball Hogwarts has always had the same tradition, as most of the older students will remember. The Head Boy and Girl have always had the first dance, but I have been informed that for the first time in eighteen years, the Heads have not come together. In order to maintain tradition, we shall compromise. Would the Head Boy and Girl please start us off with their dates?'

Everyone watched as Roger Davies and a blushing Hermione stood up and made their way to the center of the dance floor. Then eyes started to search for the Head Girl.

'Is Miss Bell in the room?' McGonagall's voice was heard again.

'Yes professor, I'm right here,' came Katie's voice, and everyone turned to see her walking through the great doors, her arm tightly wrapped around Neville Longbottom's. Katie pushed onward, dragging Neville along with her as the entire hall watched their progress. Once in the center of the dance floor alongside the Head Boy and his date, McGonagall declared the ball commenced and with a flick of her wand an eerie Halloween ballad began to fill the hall.

Everyone watched as, though on cue, Roger and Hermione sprung into action, beginning a graceful tour around the dance floor. They seemed to have perfected this dance beforehand, and as soon as they had completed circling the floor, Katie and Neville joined them, repeating the same steps but this time both couples circled one another dramatically as they toured the room.

All of the students watched in awe as the four students in front of them performed flawlessly under the warm glow of the many jack-o-lanterns hovering in the air. After several moments, the music slowed and both girls found themselves being dipped low by their partners. The song ended and the hall erupted with cheers as most of the students stood and applauded for their friends.

If Hermione had been red before the dance, it was nothing in comparison to the deep scarlet that now resided in her cheeks, and that in turn was very subtle as she stood next to an ever-blushing Neville.

Harry clapped loudly and Ron also stood and applauded, although his shouts were calling out to Neville and Katie. It appeared that he would not be letting up on Hermione any time soon, but he had at least stopped glaring at her at every chance that he got.

Unfortunately, as Harry, Ron and the others began to sit down again, they found themselves once again upright at a new onslaught of cheers and catcalls. Harry looked over to the dance floor again and then grimaced as he watched Ron look over in time to see Roger Davies remove his mouth from atop Hermione's.

For a moment, the look on Ron's face was undecipherable as it went blank. There was no sign of anger, or jealousy or even sadness. Harry was not sure what to think, but then he noticed something in Ron's eyes; a small change. His regular brilliant blue had momentarily faded and the warmth usually found within them had vanished. Harry had seen Ron angry and extremely distraught, but it was nothing in comparison to what he was seeing now. It was as though Ron had shut down and completely given up.

Harry opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Ron turning to Parvati and smiling bigger than Harry had ever seen.

'I was thinking we could go and practice some new plays tomorrow? Do you have any plans?'

Parvati grinned back at him before agreeing to go with him and slipping her hand into his. Before Harry could say anything to his best friend about his peculiar behaviour, the golden plates and goblets in front of them filled with food, and the noise level of the hall exploded as the meal began.

Their table waited a moment for Neville and Katie to join them before attacking the incredible food in front of them. To Ron's delight, a small basket of his favorite golden fried potatoes appeared in the middle of the table, as well as a variety of other delectable finger foods.

The twelve friends ate and talked amicably for the next hour, each of them telling stories of their previous years at Hogwarts, Marc and Fleur of course being the exceptions. Marc chose to tell about what it was like where he had lived in Bulgaria, while Fleur described Beauxbatons castle and what it was like during Halloween. Even Hannah had several amusing tales about Hufflepuff house to which all of the Gryffindors listened attentively and laughed heartily at afterward. The evening really was turning out to be more fun than Harry had expected.

Finally the food in front of them disappeared and Harry watched from the corner of his eye, as several couples began to make their way onto the dance floor, music once again filling the air. It only took a few moments before Hermione and Roger were among the dancers.

Seconds later, Ron had asked Parvati to dance and Katie was once again leading Neville away from the table. Dean and Ginny were next to go, soon followed by Marc and Hannah. Now Harry and Fleur were sitting alone at their table, Fleur looking expectantly at Harry while he tried not to notice. If there was one thing he hated more than a Slytherin, it was dancing.

'So Fleur, how do you like working with professor Flitwick?' Harry asked the older blonde girl, hoping to pull her attention away from the happy laughing people on the dance floor.

'Eet eez alright so far. 'e eez very nice to me and I am learning much from heem. How do you like ze classes I teach 'arry?' she asked him now.

'Uhh, they're great!' he told her with a huge smile on his face encouragingly. 'I love going to them,' he lied, not having enjoyed many of the Charms classes he had attended this year. After having read his entire textbook during the summer, the course presented little problem for him and he found it to be slightly boring.

Fleur smiled widely and her eyes shone brighter when she heard his answer.

'How long did you say that you and Gabrielle will be staying here?' he asked now, trying to keep the conversation going.

A couple of seventh year boys walked by and all winked or called at Fleur as they did. She waved politely at them before turning back to Harry and rolling her eyes. Harry laughed.

'Gabrielle should be feeneeshing all seven years at 'ogwarts, and I shall stay near her. As long as Professor Dumbledore eez okay weez it.'

'Won't your parents want to see you at all?' he asked now, still finding it curious that Gabrielle would be going to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons.

Fleur looked away from him now, a look of worry evident on her face as she searched for something to say. 'Zey do not mind,' she finally said. 'zey will see us during ze breaks, non?' She was now twirling a finger in her hair nervously and Harry could tell that she was bothered. He decided to change the subject and not press the matter any further.

Harry managed to keep Fleur talking for the next twenty minutes without interruptions, and he was starting to find that he had been wrong about her. She was much more intelligent than he had first thought and she was actually a really nice girl. He found out that she was still only eighteen because her birthday wasn't until the day after Christmas and that her middle name was Violet.

Unfortunately, Fleur noticed when her favorite song started to play and Harry could no longer keep her mind off dancing as she got to her feet and held out her hand for him to take. He did, and the pair walked onto the dance floor.

About half of the students were now dancing to this song, and Harry was surprised to find Malfoy to be one of them. He was dancing quite happily with Pansy Parkinson wrapped around his neck. Then Harry noticed that Crabbe and Goyle had also elected to come to the dance, but they were once again dateless.

His attention was snapped back to Fleur as he felt her place one of his hands on her hip and grabbed the other in her hand. Harry found himself smiling at her as they moved around the dance floor, similar to the way that the Heads had done with their dates earlier, smiling and laughing while careful not to hit any of the others. Fleur laughed a few times as he stepped on her foot or tripped over his own.

Harry couldn't help but smile at this girl who, yesterday, he would have sooner danced with Ron than consider dating, but now he found that she was really a lot of fun and not near as arrogant as he had thought. The song ended and a slower one began.

Harry turned to make his way back to the table but found that he couldn't as Fleur wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. He could feel the red in his cheeks start to climb as they slowly danced and he placed his arms around her waist.

He remembered having to dance with Parvati, but it had been nowhere as nice as this. He had been embarrassed and klutzy while she clearly did not want to be stuck with him as a partner. With Fleur, he felt comfortable and could tell that she was too as they continued to dance peacefully, her head now resting on his shoulder.

Harry looked up and noticed that Ginny was glaring at him from where she danced with Dean across the room. Then he saw that Cho was also looking quite upset with him as she silently danced with Michael Corner.

Ron's attention on the other hand was completely absorbed by Parvati as the pair danced closer together than Harry would have thought possible. They both wore forest green robes and it was difficult to tell where Ron ended and Parvati began. Harry noticed that Ron was smiling and that Parvati looked as though she was in heaven.

The song ended and most of the students went back to their seat for drinks or to talk to the others at their tables. Harry found himself not wanting to go back so he asked Fleur to dance again and the pair started up the quick-paced trot around the hall. Hermione and Roger were also still on the dance floor with them, along with Malfoy and Pansy, and now Marc and Hannah.

The music picked up and the four couples did the same, all intertwining as they sped around the room excitedly. Katie and Neville joined in and the other students were now grouped around the dance floor cheering for their friends and watching intently as they each tried to keep up. As the evening went on, more and more pairs would join in, hoping to keep up with those that had started it.

Finally the ball came to an end, and the students had their last dances. McGonagall asked them all to say goodnight and to make their way back to their common rooms for the night. Harry told the others that he would see them in a while and left with Fleur, deciding it would only be right to walk her back to her quarters. They continued to talk and laugh as they walked up to the portrait of Hogwarts' Founders and Fleur paused before giving the password.

'I cannot geeve you ze password 'arry,' she told him disappointedly.

'Yeah I know. Professor Sprout didn't seem too happy when she let me in earlier.' Fleur smiled at him when he told her how she had looked so worried about loosing her sanctuary.

'Well I had a really great time Fleur and I'm glad that you asked me to go. Sorry about being such an idiot before.'

'I had fun as well,' she said to him with a small smile before leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek again.

Harry smiled now. 'You had better not be using your Veela on me again,' he joked. She laughed at this.

'I would never dream of eet 'arry. Besides, we boz know zat eet does not work on anyone who eez not attrac-' she was cut off as Harry leaned forward and lowered his lips to hers.

The following week seemed to speed by as Harry continued his regular hectic schedule, but now with several minor changes to it. He still attended all of his lessons and Quidditch practices, as well as his Occlumency with the Headmaster, but now he asked Lupin if they could train every other day instead.

At first Lupin had not been impressed with the idea, but when he realised the reason behind Harry's wanting the time off, he gladly agreed, slapping him hard on the back and smiling.

Harry was also pleased to be making such progress in his Animagus training as well. McGonagall could not explain the sudden halt or surge of abilities he was showing, but she was thoroughly pleased with his results. He had now almost completed the transformation. He was able to transfigure each of his body parts one at a time into those of a Mustang, but he had yet to do it all at once. McGonagall told him that he should be able to do it successfully by mid-November.

It was already Friday morning and almost an entire week had passed since the ball. Hermione was still not talking to either him or Ron , and Harry had not had the chance to apologise to her. This was largely due to her never being in the common room anymore.

She had abandoned her seat under the window where she regularly did her homework after dinner, and Harry had not been able to find her. After a couple of days of this, he had looked for her on the Marauder's Map and found that she had been in different places every night, but each time he checked she was with the same dot: Roger Davies.

Harry looked out the window this morning after he got dressed and noticed that the sun was shining brightly in the clear sky. It had been a while since conditions like this had been seen, and Harry hoped that they held through to tomorrow's Quidditch match against Ravenclaw. Harry dreaded the thought of competing against Cho, now more than ever, since he had practically lied to her.

He woke up Ron and the others and waited for them to dress before they all made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. The hall this morning was a cheery place to be, as the enchanted ceiling portrayed the sunny outdoors without the harsh October winds that were sure to be outside. The Gryffindors walked toward their table but Harry told them he would join them in a minute when he noticed that Cho was sitting alone at her table.

He decided it would be best if he apologized to her now, before it was too late and she hated him forever. He walked toward the Ravenclaw table and sat down across from her, once again being taken by surprise at the softness of the seats. Cho looked up at him as he sat down, and Harry noted the shock on her face before it became firm and her lips formed a thin line like McGonagall. She huffed loudly and then turned back toward her breakfast.

'Cho I'm sorry,' he said. He noticed that he was apologizing far too often these days. 'I didn't mean to make you feel bad last week. I really didn't want to go to the ball-'

'Then why did you?' she said angrily and shot him a glare. 'Is she that much better than me?'

'Cho it's not like that. I wasn't going to go at all, but then she asked me in front of the whole hall. I didn't want to make her feel bad. You have to understand,' he pleaded.

She still did not look happy with him, but the glare was gone and she seemed to be more at ease. 'I still don't see why you wouldn't go with me,' she said. 'I thought we had good times together,' she added.

Harry raised his eyebrows at this.

'Well, alright. Not good times, but alright times. I just didn't think you were going to hate me because of it.'

'I don't hate you. I just don't think we should date,' Harry explained to her plainly.

'Oh, but you'll date her,' She said a little more loudly nodding toward Fleur at the staff table.

Harry looked to the front and found Fleur waving from where she had been watching them over her breakfast with a curious look. Harry thought about how to answer Cho for a moment and decided that the truth was probably the best way.

'Yeah I will. In fact I am. Since the ball.' Harry watched as Cho started to turn away again. 'But you have to understand, I didn't plan it Cho. She asked me, and I only went so that she wouldn't be embarrassed, but then it turned out she really is nice, and funny, and quite smart.'

The look on Cho's face told him that he should probably stop there. 'I just hope you won't stop talking to me, because I really would hate that,' he told her and started to stand up.

'I won't,' Cho said and grabbed his wrist to pull him back into his seat. She tried to smile. 'I'm happy for you.'

'You don't have to be. I don't think I would have been if you started dating someone.' This made her smile and laugh a little. 'Enough of that then. I'll catch you tomorrow on the pitch,' he told her.

'Stay. Eat breakfast with me again. Remember we agreed last week that you would more often,' she reminded him.

Harry looked over at his friends who were now staring oddly at him from the Gryffindor table, and then at the staff table where professors McGonagall and Flitwick seemed to be once again discussing his being at another table. 'Sure,' he said and waved up at the staff table while he piled some eggs onto a plate. McGonagall and Flitwick both froze for a moment before going back to their meals as though nothing out of the ordinary had gone on.

'So, how do like being the captain for Ravenclaw?' Harry asked her as they started to eat.

'It's been wonderful so far. I'm really glad Roger let me have it.'

Harry looked at her oddly for a moment while he thought about what she had just said. 'That's right, Roger was captain. Why did he give it up? He hasn't left the team has he?' Harry asked with concern, although he truthfully would not have minded if Roger was not playing against then tomorrow.

'No no, he's still with us, but since it's his eighth year at Hogwart's and my last, he decided it would be fair to give me a chance at it, since it would have probably been me anyway if he had left,' Cho explained.

'Why didn't he?' Harry asked. 'I mean I know he's really smart being in Ravenclaw so why didn't he graduate?'

'He did, but he wanted to take some extra courses before going on, and Dumbledore allowed it. He wants to become a Demon Hunter for the Ministry, so he's taking some extra DADA courses, with Professor Black unfortunately.'

'Demon Hunter? I didn't know there was such a thing, or that it would be through the Ministry,' Harry said in surprise as he pictured Roger fighting demons.

'Yeah, you have to have top marks and experience with healing is dead useful. Roger's also learning two nights a week with Madam Pomfrey,' Cho told him.

'Wow. And I thought he just came back to get another chance at Head Boy,' Harry laughed. Cho looked down.

'I was only kidding, but don't you think there's a disappointed seventh year Prefect somewhere who had been hoping to be Head Boy?' This made Cho look even more upset. 'What is it Cho? You can tell me,' he asked her, completely bewildered by her actions.

'Um. Well,' she said slowly and looked back up at him with tears in her eyes, 'it would have been Cedric I think. He was going to come back again as well.'

Harry felt as though he had run into a brick wall head on. He just sat there and stared blankly at Cho for a moment before snapping back to life.

'I am so sorry Cho. I didn't mean to bring it up. I wasn't thinking,' he spluttered.

Cho wiped her tears away and laughed a little. 'Don't worry about it Harry. It's not your fault. By the horrified look on your face I can tell you didn't mean it.'

Harry tried to smile at her again, but found it hard as the image of Cedric's lifeless eyes stayed in his mind.

'Well, I should get going,' Cho announced as she stood up to leave. 'I have a Quidditch match to win tomorrow,' she said with a wink. 'You had better be ready Potter.'

Harry walked down the seventh floor corridor that evening toward the Owlery. He had finally written a letter to Dudley after dinner, and decided to send it before he was too busy and forgot. He entered the owlery and scrunched his nose at the familiar smell of too many birds in one room, before lifting his arm and waiting for Hedwig to land on him.

Hedwig landed happily and nipped at his ear playfully while he stroked her and reached into his pocket for some Hooting Humdingers. It had been a while since he sent or received any mail, so Hedwig had been on what could be considered an owl's holiday for quite some time.

When she was done eating her treats, Harry tied the letter to Dudley securely around her leg, but with difficulty as it was not rolled, but rather in a Muggle-style envelope he had gotten from Lavender, so not to arouse suspicion at Dudley's school.

Once it was secured, Harry told her to bring it to Dudley at Smelting's Academy and to make sure that she was not seen by any of his roommates. She nipped his ear one last time before taking off through a window and soared into the inky night sky while Harry watched.

He stayed in the owlery for a while, simply staring out at the night sky and wondering what it felt like to be Hedwig, flying free through the sky, not a care in the world. She had a good job and a constant supply of food and friends. He decided that he would not mind being an owl for a while if it meant escaping his life.

Ever since breakfast, Harry had been unable to rid his mind of thoughts he had thought were long since removed form his mind. He had finally dealt with Cedric's death, but now it appeared that he had made a mistake. He had cleared it so far out of his mind that he showed no sign of even remembering his friend. Instead he laughed and joked about Roger taking some poor envious Prefects place, as though he was not dead, but somewhere in Hogwarts living it up.

Harry tried to calm himself down as he left the owlery and headed back to his common room. He decided to think about all of the good things that had happened to him lately instead of the large list of bad. He was friends with Ron again. He smiled at this. Marc was a great new friend, and Neville had turned out to be as well. He was back on the Quidditch team and hopefully tomorrow he would win another match. He and Cho were friends again. And then there was Fleur.

Since the night of the dance, Harry had eaten dinner with Fleur in the Great Hall. She would sit at the Gryffindor table with him and his friends, much to the disgust of Snape, who clearly conveyed this through the nasty glares he sent their way. Then, during his time off from Lupin every other day, they had gone on walks around the grounds and Harry knew more about her than he ever thought possible. It was as though they had known each other forever. Day by day, Harry found that he grew fonder of the blonde girl and there was little that brought him down.

It was now clear to the school that he and Fleur were dating, and many of the students had now accepted it. Malfoy shot daggers at him every chance he got, commenting during meals on how he couldn't believe a real Tri-wizard champion could ever see anything in a deluded scar-head. This suited Harry fine, because although Malfoy was a Prefect and had the power to punish him if he retorted, Fleur was a professor and reminded him of this by taking twenty points from Slytherin and placing him in detention. The look on Malfoy's face had been priceless.

Harry reached the portrait of the fat lady and gave the password 'Doxy Dust' before being admitted and heading toward the staircase with the intention of getting a good night's sleep before the match tomorrow. Before he could make it to the stairs though, he was called from near the fire by Ron.

'Oh, good mate,' Ron said to him, 'I've been looking for you all night. Percy sent an owl and there was something for you too.' He handed Harry a small wrapped box and beckoned for them to sit back down near the fire. Harry explained to him that he wanted to get some rest, and when he told him it was so that he might play better during the match, Ron practically shoved him up the stairs.

Once changed and sitting on his bed, Harry unwrapped the small box from Percy and found an interestingly carved wooden box. Inside he found a small card and a handful of chocolates. Reading the card Harry was surprised to hear that Percy and Penelope had not yet returned from their honeymoon.

According to Percy's card, they had stayed in Paris for several weeks before going on to Spain and then Belgium where they had bought the chocolates. Apparently the couple would stay abroad until it was time to come home for Penelope to have their daughter. This reminded Harry of spending Christmas with all of the Weasleys and he got excited at the thought of staying with everyone at the Nest again.

He drifted to sleep quickly with thoughts of Christmas and Fleur floating in his mind, every last ounce of sadness and frustration leaving him for the night.

The next day was more hectic and charged with excitement than Harry could ever remember. All of the house tables, including Slytherin, had been chatting excitedly and the teachers seemed to be eagerly awaiting the first match of the year.

Harry found himself talking to Cho for a while in the morning before having lunch with Fleur and then dressing in his Quidditch robes and gathering with the rest of the team in the Gryffindor changing room at three o'clock. Ron looked more excited and nervous than ever before and Harry could not help but smile at him. He had waited five years for this and finally it was his chance to show everyone he could stand out from his brothers and sister.

'Alright! Now we all know that we have to crush these Ravenclaws. They've always been a fairly good team, but now it appears they've added a few new players and are stronger than ever. Harry's also told me that Cho Chang is their new captain. Unfortunately Davies is still on the team, so chasers you'll have to keep an eye on him because he certainly knows what he's doing.' Ron continued to explain all he could to his team before they had to face the Ravenclaws. 'Harry should have little trouble catching the snitch, so he's going to try and wait a while so that we can collect some points first. We don't want to face the Slytherins with a very small lead.'

'Not that it matters!' a voice shouted from the doorway.

The whole team looked up to find the twins, Angelina and Alicia walking in grinning.

'Hey you guys,' Alicia said waving at them.

'So these are our replacements then?' the twins said pointing at Marc and Seamus, both of whom looked slightly cautious to say anything back.

'And ours?' Angelina and Alicia said together as they smiled at Ginny and Parvati.

'I'm surprised Parvati!' Angelina said. 'I never would have pegged you as a Quidditch player.'

'Neither did I,' Ron said laughing and smiling warmly down at Parvati who stood next to him. The twins exchanged an odd glance.

'Where's Lee?' Harry asked, looking toward the door for the third prankster.

'Getting ready in the announcer's booth. McGonagall wanted him there early so she could give him a lecture on what not to say during the match.' Everyone laughed.

A few moments later, with a final shout of 'GRYFFINDOR!', the team members, new and old, filed out of the changing rooms and either waited to be announced or went toward the stands to cheer on their friends. A few moments later Lee Jordan's voice echoed over the pitch and Harry could hear the names of the Ravenclaw players being called before Lee announced Cho as the new captain. Now it was their turn.

'With an incredibly reformed team, Gryffindor is back, stronger than ever with Bell, Potter, Weasley, Evans, Finnigan, Patil and Ron Weasley as the new team Captain!' Roars of approval reached their ears form the crowded stands as they whipped around the pitch once and landed across from the other team. Madam Hooch waited with the Quidditch trunk rattling at her side, the bludgers eager to be released. Cho and Ron stepped forward and shook hands, Cho saying good luck and Ron returning the comment.

Both teams mounted their brooms again and waited for the whistle to blow before kicking off hard and hovering fifty feet in th air. The latches of the trunk were released and Madam Hooch stepped back as the bludgers whipped passed her head and up into the air. They were soon followed by the golden snitch, fluttering wildly in the air before zooming passed the players and up into air with a loud humming. Madam Hooch announced that it had better be a clean game before throwing the quaffle into the air and blowing her whistle to start the match.

'And it's Bell with the first catch of the quaffle! She whips passed Davies and quickly sends it to Weasley, who dives under Corner and drops it to Patil. Patil dodges both bludgers and loops the second post before sending it through the first hoop! 10 points to Gryffindor!' Lee shouted. 'These girls know what they're doing. I daresay they're a better team than last year's.'

Harry noticed Angelina and Alicia glaring hard at him form their seats next to McGonagall.

'Now it's Corner with possession. He's flying low with the quaffle, avoiding a bludger. Passes it to Davies, nearly intercepted by Bell...oooh... gotta watch those bludgers Roger! Now it's Weasley with the quaffle, weaving between the Ravenclaw beaters. She takes a shot and it's- NO! It's no good.'

Harry hovered high above the pitch, squinting in the sunlight to try and see the snitch somewhere but the sun was shining too brightly. He flew a little lower and tried again. He could see Cho on the other side of the pitch, also flying low to try and catch a glimpse of the golden escape artist.

Then he saw something glimmering gold in the sunlight. Before Cho could react he was speeding toward the spectators only to stop when he realised what the source of the shining was. Fleur was sitting in the Gryffindor stands next to Neville and Lavender, her hair held up by a familiar metal clip. Harry felt like an idiot as she waved excitedly at him and he waved back, before turning back to the match. Cho was still searching on the other side of the pitch without any luck.

'Patil has caught the quaffle again and is heading straight for the Ravenclaw hoops. She passes it to Bell, no she moved out of the way! It goes to Weasley, and back to Patil. These girls are incredible! She shoots at the hoop and it's good! Gryffindor scores! 20 points Gryffindor!' The crimson and gold section of the crowd cheered loudly, getting a more than pleased reaction from the team.

'The quaffle's been picked up by Corner, and over to Davies.'

Harry's heart sank slightly when he heard a familiar chorus rising from the green and silver stands. 'Weasley was born in a bin, he always let's the quaffle in. That's why we raise our glass to him, Weasley is our king!' Harry watched nervously as Roger Davies rushed toward Ron, whose eyes kept on travelling back to the Slytherin stands.

'Bell tries to intercept- OUCH! Great shot by the Ravenclaw beater. Davies continues to the Gryffindor goal post, letting go with one arm and letting it sail passed the keeper. No, it's saved! Weasley has stopped the quaffle. I haven't seen a save like that since the ex-captain Oliver Wood's fourth year! This team is certainly improving every year!'

The residents of the Nest were now standing on their seats next to McGonagall and shouting louder than ever. McGonagall sat next to them cheering as well, little sign of trying to reprimand the ex-students. The twins were going insane shouting support to their youngest brother and more importantly gesturing rudely to the Slytherins.

Harry watched the game for a second or two while he hovered high above the other players. So far they were ahead twenty points, and he was to hold off on catching the snitch until they were ahead by about fifty. He sighed, watching Cho whip passed him with a playful smile, and hoped he could either find it before her, or at least keep her away from it for long enough.

Suddenly Cho went into a dive, having obviously seen something near the ground. Harry reacted instantly, angling downward and speeding toward her, wind whipping his face as he quickly caught up. His eyes searched the ground in front of them and sure enough, the snitch hovered lazily about an inch off the ground, daring both seekers to try and reach it without snapping their necks.

Cho reached out a hand in front of them, trying her best to stay steadied on her broom, while Harry pulled forward slightly, now only an inch or two behind her. At this rate, they were only thirty meters away and Cho would beat him to it. He tried to lurch forward again but it was no use, she had gotten too much of a head start.

The crowd had fallen silent as they watched the seekers barrel toward the ground, Cho with her arm reaching out and Harry right on her tail. Ten feet from the ground, Cho started to pull up, reaching even farther from her broom and Harry watched as her fingers started to wrap around the snitch.

'Ahhhhhhh!' Cho screamed out in pain as a bludger hit her hard on the wrist, causing her hand to open and the snitch to zip away quickly. She tried to stable herself on her broom, but her wrist gave away under the pain and she fell sideways off of her Cleansweep and fifteen feet down to the ground. The crowd all held their breath as they watched the Ravenclaw captain land in a heap on the ground. Professor's Flitwick and McGonagall were on their feet and heading down toward the pitch. Both teams hovered in the air motionless, unsure of what to do. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and signalled that the match would continue, seeker or not, before heading across the pitch.

Harry was now hovering thirty meters up, after having pulled up form the dive knowing that Cho had caught the snitch. To his surprise she had been hit by a bludger and now lay in a heap on the ground. He looked over his left shoulder and saw the snitch hovering calmly in the sunlight, taunting him and waiting to be caught. He took a deep breath and turned away from it, rushing downward to the ground to help Cho.

The crowd all watched now in curiosity as the Gryffindor seeker dismounted from his Firebolt and reached out a hand to help the Ravenclaw seeker to her feet.

'C'mon Cho, you can do it,' he said encouragingly, as she grabbed hold of his hand and hoisted herself up.

'What are you doing Potter?' she asked with a small smile on her face. 'Why haven't you caught the snitch yet?'

'What's the fun in that if my toughest competitor is hiding down on the ground?' he said mockingly, before remounting his broom and waiting for her to do the same.

'I hope you know what you're doing Potter,' Cho warned him with a grin, 'because now I really have to beat you!'

With that, both seekers kicked off hard and soared into the air, each going toward their respective sides. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Hooch were now standing at the edge of the pitch discussing what had just occurred, each of them with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

Harry started to search for the snitch again, circling the Gryffindor hoops and checking near the ground before heading up toward the tops.

'What was that?' he heard Ron say to him in exasperation. 'I know you saw the snitch Harry. Are you trying to lose for us?' He sounded extremely put off.

'Then I'm sure you also know that Cho was lying in a heap on the ground. You don't want to win by default do you ... captain?' Harry smiled as he saw the conflicted look in Ron's eyes.

'Fine, but don't let it happen again,' he said with what was meant to be a stern voice but turned out to be more of a laugh as his face turned upward in a grin.

Harry was about to retort but Ron was called away by the quaffle flying toward the middle hoop. He lunged toward and just barely hit it away with the end of his broom. He really was getting good.

'Another amazing save by Weasley!' Lee boomed overhead. 'Now it's Patil in possession and now to Bell, to Weasley, to Patil, ooh and she's hit hard by a well directed bludger. Davies heading up the center toward the hoops, no one in his path to stop him. He's lining up a shot, but what's this? He's passed it to Corner and Corner sneaks it through the far hoop! Ten points to Ravenclaw,' Lee said disappointedly.

The game continued for another two hours, becoming one of the longest matches Harry had ever played in. Gryffindor had moved up another hundred and twenty points but Ravenclaw had scored another ninety's worth. It had been two hours and neither seeker had seen even a glimpse of the snitch.

Harry was now circling the pitch again, trying his best to see through the bright sun's rays, before angling back down toward the ground. Cho was doing the opposite, now heading upwards in hopes that Harry had missed something. Harry grazed the ground until he saw something gold twittering at the base of the Gryffindor goal posts. He tried not to get Cho's attention as he continued calmly toward it, knowing he could easily beat her to it at this rate.

Unfortunately, the snitch had other plans and suddenly darted upward and directly toward where Cho was flying. Harry angled upward and gave a sudden burst of speed toward the other seeker. She looked up at him in confusion for a moment before realising what was headed toward her. She angled downward again and headed straight toward the two of them, her sore arm now reaching out for the snitch.

Both teams had stopped playing, all of the players eager for the match to be over as they watched their seekers barrel toward one another at ridiculous speeds. It was over in a flash as the seekers pulled away from one another, no one sure of what had occurred, and who held the snitch.

Harry watched as Cho flew straight at him, both of their arms reached out in front of them, neither of them wanting to lose to one another. Both hands grabbed at the same time, Harry feeling his fingers close around the tiny golden sphere and Cho's fingers wrapping around his. They pulled apart quickly and whipped back to their respective sides.

Everything was quiet as everyone watched with wide eyes to see who had won, and the Gryffindors all burst into cheers as Harry held up his right hand to expose the struggling snitch in his grasp.

'Gryffindor wins!' Lee shouted excitedly from the commentator's booth and watched in excitement as the old teammates jumped for joy next to McGonagall, who herself looked extremely pleased.

The Gryffindor team all landed quickly and rushed over to tackle Harry. Ron was ecstatic as he wrestled with his best friend on the ground. The cheering continued as every one watched the Gryffindors celebrate on the ground. Harry stood up and saw Cho landing next to her team on the other end of the pitch. She looked disappointed, but smiled nonetheless and gave a small wave before turning to leave. Harry noticed that Hermione was walking alongside Roger as they left the pitch.

'That was an incredible catch!' Fred and George both shouted as they reached the team on the ground, closely followed by the other Gryffindors spilling onto the pitch. 'And I think we have some competition in our replacements,' Fred added, nodding toward Marc and Seamus.

'It was nothing compared to those saves Ron made!' Harry told them, grinning at his best friend. Ron blushed and swiped at the air as though it was nothing.

'Don't you be so modest!' Parvati said loudly, running up to him and wrapping her arms tightly around his neck before kissing him in front of everyone. Shouts of approval from all the Gryffindors filled the air, and Ron looked more shocked and pleased than Harry had ever seen. He couldn't help but laugh as Parvati stepped back.

'And that my good Gryffindors,' she said loudly in a singsong voice, batting her eyelashes, 'is why Weasley is my king!'


	15. A Day to Remember

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**A/N: Hello everyone! Sorry about the wait once again, but I had zero computer over the last few days. I hate when things break, grr. Oh well, now I have my own and we should see clear sailing from here on out. I want to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews thus far, and I'll try my best to keep responding to any questions you. If I miss you this time I'll get you next time. Take care and enjoy, Kyle : D**

**Christa Potter**: Hi! I'm glad you enjoyed the ball. I tried to make it nice, but not have it take up the entire chapter because Quidditch had to happen, lol.

**Slytherin Fan 15**: Hey! I'm happy you liked the Muggle tyle dress thing. I figured some of the students would feel more comfortable that way : D To tell you the truth I didn't expect Harry to fall for Fleur either, but as I wrote it I had a certain sympathy for her that Harry must have picked up on : D Take care.

**Hands Off:** No problem. If you do remember let me know though. I spent so long rereading the chap to try and figure it out! LOL I need a life : D

**Captain J 737**: Glad you liked the honourable Harry, and from your question I get impression that you'll enjoy this chapter ; )

**Poemzie the Phoenix**: I have to agree with you. If my date spent too much time with an ex, I would not be impressed. Harry will soon learn all about that, lol.

**Ender 74361**: Hey! I'm glad I can spite you with my story, LOL. I really enjoy the mushy (Korny) parts every now and then. At least I know I'll always have you to point them out : D Thanks for stickin around. Kyle

**Totally Strange**: I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying the story so far, but I have to say I don't agree with the genre change. This is definitely not intended to be a comedy/humour but rather a canon fic that stays as Rowling ish as I can. I'll try to keep the humour to a minimum though. Kyle : D

**Flamata**: Hello. While I thank you for the CC I must tell you honestly that I will not be changing anything to suit the suggestions. I am always open to suggestions, but I rarely right something unless I believe it to be the way it should be.

1. I'm not making Harry more clueless on purpose: Just because the name Tonks is on his text does not immediately make her Tonks' grandmother. Harry was worried about Ron laying motionless on the floor and the first thing he thought of was petrification as it had happened before in the castle. He didn't forget he had the map, just didn't think to use it to find a teacher; it's just not something he had done before. As for Ginny and Dean, Dean was the last thing on his mind if you know what I mean. I didn't mean that he had completely forgotten they were dating, just for those few intense moments when they were together.

2. I'm glad you're interested with Neville's character. He's my favorite and yes things will be explained.

3. I'm sorry you don't feel Harry's training was done well. I thought that considering he was alone without distraction and had quite a bit of determination he would learn quite a bit. I didn't give him any amazing powers, just what he would have learned during first term of sixth year. As for him entering Dumbledore's mind, it really wasn't intended on his part, and while it might not be something any sixteen-year-old could accomplish, Harry is not just any sixteen-year-old. You forget that he sometimes has someone else in his mind ; D  
4. Veela is very much like a spell. It's how they attract men! Oh well.  
5. When Ron takes his invisibility cloak he has no reason not to trust him. He is his best friend after all. I don't think Harry is the straight-laced tight ass you're making him out to be.  
6. Having Hagrid write the way he speaks was just fun, lol. I highly doubt Hagrid could intentionally spell the way he speaks, no offense to him : D

Well that's it. I in no way mean to offend you. I'm simply happy with what I've written and don't feel it needs changing. I hope you kleep reading and reviewing, and please point out anything else that seems off. You never know, I may agree and change it. Thanks, Kyle.

**Dark Huntress**: Don't worry, it won't last. I don't think it ever could, as much as I like her : D Things will change shortly. Take care.

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Chapter 15: A Day to Remember

That night in Gryffindor tower, little could have been done to stop the party that went on throughout the evening and well into the night. McGonagall had in fact made a visit to try and calm them down, but had in turn been convinced by the twins to have a butterbeer with the team before going back to her office.

'How do you do that?' Ron shouted to his brothers as they continued to drink butter beers and hand out treats they had collected from the kitchen earlier.

'It's all in the Weasley charm dear brother,' George told him with a smirk.

'And I'm afraid you have yet to perfect it. But don't worry, you will. We Weasleys always do!' Fred added with a cheer as everyone around him laughed loudly.

The Gryffindor banner was once again strewn across the common room and several tiny fireworks were set off around the room as well. Fred and George had brought some of their latest creations with them in the hopes that Gryffindor would win and they would get to try them out on the students at the after party.

The fireworks were actually miniature versions of their much larger 'Anti-Umbridge Brigades' and only whipped around the room for ten minutes before slowly dissipating and finally vanishing altogether. The twins had decided that it was far too difficult to sell the larger fireworks and that they would be wise to find a new way to bring havoc to the corridors of Hogwarts one way or another.

Fleur had been by earlier to congratulate Harry on their victory but she was not able to stay long as she had a lesson to prepare for Monday's classes. They made plans to meet the next night for dinner and she set off through the port hole back toward her quarters.

Harry now sat in an armchair near the fire, across from Marc and Hannah Abbot. Marc had invited her, and none of the other Gryffindors had had any problem with it, especially after having spent the evening at the Halloween ball with her. Hannah really was hilarious, always telling jokes and keeping them in stitches. At the moment though, she was being shown around by her sister Sarah, one of the new first year Gryffindors.

Marc and Harry were now playing a game of wizard's chess and talking about how great Marc's first game as a beater had been.

'I can't believe how much fun that was! I mean, I'd played at Durmstrang but it was nothing like that. We don't have houses there so there are really only two teams all the time. I can't wait to play whoever wins next month. Do you think it will be Slytherin or Hufflepuff?'

'Definitely Slytherin!' Harry said immediately, knowing how ruthless the team was, and certain that they would stop at nothing to play Gryffindor again.

The pair continued to talk with Hannah as the night wore on until the Hufflepuff girl had to leave and the younger students started to make their way up to bed. Harry found it odd to see Ron helping Katie usher them up to their dormitories at midnight, threatening to take away house points if they did not listen. It was usually Hermione who did this; always ready to be the strong arm when needed, but this was no longer the case as she barely showed her face around the common room.

Harry found again that she was nowhere in sight and assumed that she was off somewhere consoling the Head Boy after his loss on the pitch today. He decided that not having Hermione around was not only hurting him but also many of the others in Gryffindor as she was no longer around to do her Prefect duties. He would have to apologize to her in the morning and hope she forgave him. If she did not, then at least he would explain to her why he had done what he had.

By one o'clock the common room had emptied out save for Harry and Marc, who both still sat near the fireplace discussing this and that over several games of chess. Marc finally decided to call it a night and told Harry that he would wake him in the morning and they could go flying if it weather permitted. Harry agreed and said goodnight to his friend, telling him that he would be up shortly.

Harry sat quietly watching the bright orange flames in the grate slowly die down and become glowing embers as he ran through all that occurred today in his head. What weighed on his mind the most heavily now was what Marc had asked him earlier. When he asked who he thought would win the next Quidditch match, Harry had immediately said Slytherin, knowing that Hufflepuff stood little chance. Especially now that their star player and captain was dead. He could not help but start to feel guilty all over again for Cedric's death.

He continued to silently mull over these thoughts until he heard the portrait quietly swing forward and watched as Hermione stepped through. She stopped when she saw Harry sitting in the shadows by the fire, and said nothing for a moment as she thought. Then she turned and made her way across the common room, clearly intent on going up to her dormitory without speaking to him.

'Hermione wait,' he called to her before she could disappear up the steps.

She paused and turned to face him, a cold look on her face. 'Oh, so we're back to a first name basis then are we?' she said with such bitterness that Harry cringed. He had not realised how badly he had hurt her that night.

'Hermione I'm sorry. I never meant to say that to you. You know you're one of the last people I would ever hurt,' he pleaded with her.

'And yet you did it without hesitation, and a cold unwavering expression.' She took another step toward him. 'You know, I really thought we were best friends Harry, but after a stunt like that you really make me wonder. I know you still care for me. You proved that when you took my place in Defense class last week. Unfortunately, that's not really the issue.'

Harry looked at her in confusion now, and ran one of his hands through his hair trying to figure out what she meant.

'I wasn't hurt because I thought you didn't like me. After all these years I know you quite well, but I really thought you knew me better than this, Harry. I'm not an idiot. I know why you tried to get Ron and I angry with you, and what hurts is that after all this time you still don't think we're good enough to help you.'

Harry just sat silently in his chair, unsure of what to say to his smartest friend, who had known all along what he had planned and who had never once left his side. He felt terrible.

'I do care about you Harry, and Ron for that matter,' she said letting out a long sigh. 'I am quite certain that will never change, but since you've finally made it clear that you think so little of me, I'm afraid I cannot be your friend anymore, and for that I am truly sorry.'

'Hermione, I don't think there's anything wrong with you!' Harry said from his spot across the room. He could not believe what he was hearing. How could she think that?

Hermione looked at him for another minute before turning back toward her dormitory and silently walking up the stairs, leaving Harry alone in the dark with yet another problem to deal with.

That night Harry had difficulty falling asleep, and when he finally did, it was a restless sleep filled with random dreams, each more confusing than the last. He was flying on his Firebolt for a while, chasing the snitch until he finally caught it and it turned out to be an orange. Then he decided to eat it, but upon peeling it he found a Time Turner. Figuring he could give it a try now that no one was around, Harry turned it over a few times and watched as the scene around him changed.

Harry once again found himself in the cave he had now been in twice before, but this time he seemed to be looking down on the scene and not actually in it. Harry looked to a far wall and found that the shackles that had once held Voldemort's prisoner were still hanging there, only now they vacant at the moment. The prisoner had evidently been released under the Imperius to complete a task still unknown to the Order.

Harry's attention was pulled to the edge of the cave as three persons walked through one of the many entrances. One short and twitchy, indicative of Wormtail, followed closely by none other than the Dark Lord himself, and finally a masked Death Eater that could have been anyone.

'Is it done Wormtail?' Voldemort's chilling voice filled the air, causing Pettigrew to tremble as he held out a hand bearing a rolled parchment.

'Y-y-yes m-m-master,' he stuttered severely as the roll was pulled from his grasp.

'Finally, I have waited far too long for this. It appears that at least one among my ranks knows what they are doing.' He turned to face the masked Death Eater and his features softened slightly, indicating his approval and possible pleasure. 'Is he still under the Imperius?' he asked curiously.

'No my Lord,' came the response from the same Death Eater Harry had heard last time, again in a voice that he found familiar. 'Surprisingly, once he had completed the task, he began to fight the curse, causing many disruptions and suspicions. I was forced to sever the link.' She bowed apologetically.

'Very well,' he continued, almost completely undeterred by the loss of their prisoner. 'I no longer need him at the moment, and I do have what I've been waiting for, as I of course knew that I would. Now let me see,' he said with what Harry noticed was a certain excitement spiking his voice.

He unrolled the parchment and started to read whatever was written on it. Harry tried to read it, but it was being held at an odd angle that he could not see. Several moments passed before Voldemort touched the parchment with his wand in several places, rolled it up and handed it to the female Death Eater.

'I am extremely pleased with this outcome. This list will greatly facilitate the purging process. I have indicated on the list which of them I would like to be dealt with first. I want you and Bella to handle the first fifty tomorrow, and I expect you to deal with those that I have marked personally. Especially the fourteenth on the list. She has been living in close proximity to the problem for nearly sixteen years and now she will pay dearly for standing in my way.'

'Yes my Lord. It will be done,' the masked woman replied and once again bowed before heading toward the cave entrance.

'Oh, and do make sure to take your time with her. Make it as painful as possible, and leave her somewhere for the old fool to find,' Voldemort said with a twisted grin on his nearly skeletal face.

Just as quickly as the dream had begun, it ended, and Harry found himself once again chasing the snitch around the Quidditch pitch, hoping desperately to catch it so that he might find another orange.

The next morning Harry was awakened by someone prodding him in the ribs.

'Harry, wake up!' a voice said in a forced whisper. 'I'll use the Fluvius charm if I have to,' it warned.

Harry opened his eyes to find Marc standing next to his bed, pointing his wand down at him and prepared to cast the water spouting spell. 'I'm up, I'm awake!' he said, lifting his arms to shield himself and knock Marc's wand away.

After several more minutes of lounging in bed and prodding of the ribs, Harry finally got himself dressed and headed out of the common room, following an overly excited Marc.

'So shall we fly first and then go for breakfast, or the other way around?' he asked him, clearly not caring one way or the other, as he sprang down the steps to the entrance hall.

'Let's eat later, please,' Harry emphasized this, thinking that if he had to fly on a full stomach he would probably be sick all over his friend. Harry smiled at the idea, now thinking that perhaps they should eat first.

Marc led the way out through the great ornate doors of Hogwarts castle, an extremely disheveled Harry following a few steps behind him, pulling his robes around him tighter in the cold morning air. Marc grinned as he heard Harry's mumblings about the injustices of being awake and outside this early on a Sunday morning.

This morning in particular was one of the nastier Halloween's Harry had seen yet, and this included his first year in which he faced a fully grown Mountain Troll. The sky was completely covered in thick, dark storm clouds, reaching across the sky threateningly as far as they could reach. The boy's faces were met with what Harry was calling gale winds, that numbed their cheeks within seconds of being outdoors, and lifted the many fallen leaves on the ground in a myriad of colours forming tiny twisters around the grounds. Harry shivered at the sight.

The pair changed into their crimson Quidditch robes and after grabbing their broomsticks and a Quidditch trunk, headed toward the pitch. The first fifteen minutes of the 'fun' was excruciatingly cold and almost unbearable as Harry acted Keeper while Marc practiced taking shots at him with the quaffle. Harry realised that had he been the Gryffindor Keeper last year, the Slytherins would have surely found a far worse song than Potter is our King for his abysmal talents.

Once they had started to warm up slightly, Harry found the game to be much more exciting than before and was more than thrilled to show his newest roommate how to catch the golden snitch. He was really quite impressed with Marc's abilities as he caught the snitch fairly quickly, six of the nine times it was released.

As they reached the end of their training, Harry and Marc found themselves putting the equipment away and trying out some of the tactics they had seen performed during professional Quidditch matches. Harry nearly fell off his broom when he watched Marc perform the Wronski Feint almost flawlessly.

'Where did you learn that!' he cried at the boy, as they landed firmly on the ground and dismounted their brooms.

'Viktor Krum taught me. We played on the same team at Durmstrang and he was a fairly sound bloke, always nice to me and trying to help me improve my game.'

'Yeah, I thought he was decent too, but Ron on the other hand didn't feel the same way. See, Krum asked Hermione to the Yule ball in fourth year and Ron was right jealous, I don't care what he says.'

'Hermione was the girl he asked?' Marc said in a surprised tone. 'Everyone heard about the girl he had brought to the ball. The papers back home called her a 'near-Veela whose radiating beauty could stop a man's heart in his chest',' Marc continued to quote the newspaper article.

Harry laughed at the thought of Hermione's face had she heard of or seen that article. All of a sudden Harry remembered that he was to receive news from Krum sometime during the school year. Hermione had warned him at the beginning of the term to expect an owl, and yet two months into the term and he had heard nothing so far. He wondered what a famous Quidditch player such as Viktor Krum could need from a simple sixth year student halfway across the world.

'Are you up for breakfast then?' Marc asked him as they stored their brooms and the rattling Quidditch trunk back into their places before heading back up to the castle.

'Yeah, I'm famished. I think I could probably eat an entire Crumple-horned Snorkac if Mr. Lovegood ever finds it!' Harry laughed loudly at this while Marc shook his head and the pair of dark-haired boys entered the Great Hall.

Most of the students were now awake and in the hall, eating breakfast and talking to their friends while eagerly waiting for time to pass. It was only nine more hours until the long-awaited Halloween feast, and there was not a soul in the room who could deny looking forward to it every year.

Harry waved at Cho as he passed the Ravenclaw table and found that she waved back merrily, clearly not harbouring any hard feelings about the previous days events. They had barely seated themselves when Neville and Ron scooted down toward them from where they had been sitting with Lavender and Parvati, and the four had an interesting discussion about Marc's talents on the pitch. Ron was genuinely impressed and awed when he learned of Marc's one-on-one training with Krum, and showed little signs of ever having disliked the Bulgarian player.

Just after half past nine, the post owls swept in, dropping parcels and letters from families, as well as subscriptions to Quidditch Weekly, the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet, into the awaiting hands of the students. Harry watched as Seamus collected his copy of Quidditch Weekly and noticed that one owl had landed on the Gryffindor table and was staring at him, a copy of the Daily Prophet tied securely to it's leg and a leather pouch to the other.

It took him a moment to realise that the owl was dropping off Hermione's daily subscription but that she was nowhere to be found. Dropping a sickle into the small pouch, Harry untied the paper and watched as the owl flew off hooting happily, having completed it's task despite the recipient of it's delivery not being there.

Harry let the Prophet drop onto the table where it lay unread as his attention was pulled away by another delivery. An extremely large horned eagle owl flew low over the house tables before depositing a letter in both Cho Chang's hands and then Vincent Crabbe's. Harry watched as the bird turned away immediately, not having stopped at all, and flew right back out of the room.

Few people had noticed the strange occurrence, most of them still talking and laughing amongst themselves, but Harry could not help but wonder who would be sending something to both Cho and Crabbe. Dumbledore, Harry noticed, did take note of the oddity and followed the birds path with an ominous look in his eyes. Harry was also bothered as he knew he had seen the large bird somewhere before.

Thinking about where he had seen the horned creature before, Harry turned to the Prophet he had placed next to him and his eyes widened as he read the front page.

_**15 disappearances reported in the last 24 hours  
Rita Skeeter, Special Reporter for the Daily Prophet**_

_In new and alarming news, fifteen newly reported disappearances have now added to the last sixty three over the past fourteen days. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has taken strong action in placing Aurors in and around heavily populated wizarding areas such as Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village.  
The Minister states that it is still unknown as to where these disappearances are originating, but that there is very little need for witches and wizards to worry. It appears that each of the seventy eight missing persons are in fact Squibs, leading the Minister to believe that the disappearances are occurring as a bad joke from some of the less understanding members of the wizarding community.  
'Either that, or these Squibs have somehow managed to make some sort of miscalculations in an attempt to practice magic,' Fudge said this morning. In any case, Minister Fudge promises that the matter will be resolved shortly, and reminds everyone that there is no need for concern at this time._

Harry threw the paper over to Ron who read it quickly and looked up at him with a similarly shocked and disgusted look on his face.

'That's what he's been up to!' Ron said, clearly meaning Voldemort, but still unwilling to say his name.

'Oh no!' Harry said, suddenly remembering his dream from the night before and now understanding what it meant.

He jumped to his feet and immediately ran up to the staff table where he told Dumbledore that they needed to speak.  
Noticing the many heads watching this interaction, Dumbledore stood and politely asked Harry to follow him into the anti chamber at the back of the hall. Harry obliged without hesitation and as soon as the door was closed, burst into an explanation of his dream.

'The list Voldemort has been after from the Ministry must have been a list of all the registered Squibs sir,' he started to explain, while Dumbledore watched him calmly. 'And last night I saw him again, but this time he had the list, and marked certain ones for death by tonight! We have to stop him before he gets to the fourteenth person on that list,' he said remembering the certain torture destined for a member of the Order.

'There is nothing to worry about Harry,' Dumbledore replied calmly, trying to calm him down, but only resulting in infuriating him further.

'No, you don't understand! I am certain that the fourteenth person on the list is Mrs. Figg, and Voldemort asked for her to be taken care of personally and left somewhere where you would find her!' he shouted, now unable to control his anger, while Mrs. Figg was probably being attacked in her own home as they spoke.

Dumbledore's eyes darkened drastically at hearing this, but he continued to stare calmly at Harry. 'As I said, there is nothing to worry about. Arabella has been taken care of, and is very well hidden at the moment where not even the Dark Lord's many resources reach. Even if Tom is able to capture her secret keeper, I find it highly unlikely that he would get anything out of me,' he finished with a wink at Harry.

'But how did you know?' Harry asked, not understanding why Dumbledore had said nothing the last time he had told him of his dreams.

'Since your last dream, the Order and I have been in contact with the Minister and worked out what Tom was planning. While we were able to place Arabella in hiding, I'm afraid that the only list of registered Squibs is now in his possession, preventing us from hiding them all,' he added with disappointment.

'He hasn't gotten Filch has he sir?' Harry asked, remembering the lack of a caretaker roaming the halls at night and Hagrid's peculiar behaviour when asked about the Squib's whereabouts.

'It would appear so Harry, but we have not stopped searching for him. There is still a chance that he is alive.' Dumbledore's eyes darkened again, indicating his doubts and sadness and Harry watched as the lines around his eyes became more prominent. For the first time Harry appreciated how very old the Headmaster was and regretted bringing up what was surely a sore subject.

'I'm sure he'll turn up,' Harry said in an attempt to alleviate the tense situation. Noticing this, Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at him, before reopening the door to the Great Hall.

'Please Harry, do not worry about this at all, and do keep practicing your Occlumency before bed.

Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor table and took his seat, trying not to notice the curious glances coming from many of the other students. As soon as he sat down he was asked by Neville and Marc if Filch had shared the same fate as those in the newspaper article. Harry tried his best to explain what Dumbledore had told him, leaving out the details of his dreams and of course that the Headmaster was Mrs. Figg's secret keeper. When Harry was done, there were several seconds of silence, as they all knew that there was nothing they could do.

'Well I've got to get going mates!' Ron told the group as he stood to leave. 'McGonagall's got me taking extra courses with her now that I've chosen my career path finally.'

'What have you chosen?' Neville asked curiously, trying to change the somber mood.

'I guess you'll have to wait and find out,' he answered to all their disappointments with a grin, before turning and walking quickly out of the hall.

'I've actually got an appointment as well,' Marc said, starting to collect his things.

'What, with McGonagall as well?' Harry said in surprise, wondering when he would be called upon to discuss his possible Auror training in the future.

'Uh, no. Actually I'll be meeting with professor Lupin.' Harry raised his eyebrows in surprise. He did not think that he would be sharing his private tutor with anyone. 'Dumbledore thought that he would be the best choice to continue my teachings in the Dark Arts. He said that he did not want me to stop my learnings from Durmstrang just because I changed schools.' Marc shrugged his shoulders as he said his goodbyes and headed out of the hall.

'Looks like it's you and me Neville,' Harry said, looking up to the blond-haired boy and taking another spoonful of oatmeal. Neville looked at him awkwardly, as though he was about to say something that made him extremely uncomfortable. 'Not you too!' Harry said in exasperation. 'Am I the only one without a meeting?'

'No, it's not that,' Neville said with a small laugh and watched as Harry relaxed slightly. 'Mine's not for another hour.'

'Then what is it? Do I have something on my face?' he asked, running his sleeve across it in an attempt to remove any cemented oatmeal.

'Could we talk about it elsewhere?' Neville said in barely a whisper. 'I don't want any unfriendly ears to hear us,' he said, now nodding his head toward the staff table where Harry looked up and found Professor Black watching them.

Harry nodded and the two of them collected their things and walked out of the Great Hall, heading toward the library where they were certain to find far less people, being Halloween and all. Once sitting at the back of the musty room lined in volumes upon volumes of magical content, Harry gave Neville an expectant look.

'Well, I was just thinking Harry. Defense class has been rather strained again this year, and while the material is at least practical this year, I don't feel many of the students are learning much under professor Black's watchful eyes.'

'What's your point Neville?' Harry asked dumbly, not understanding what his friend was suggesting.

'Well, we managed to find a suitable replacement last year, and I was hoping that he might wish to start his lessons up again?' Neville finished with a hint of pleading in his voice. 'I think it would really help.'

The look on Harry's face was now one of sudden realisation as Neville's words sunk in. 'No way!' he said shaking his head determinedly. 'Do you know what she would do if she found out? Besides if anyone found out, Dumbledore could be forced to leave the school again, and there is no way I will be responsible for that twice.'

'But we need it Harry! And you know it. I don't want to see Dumbledore sacked either but what good is a Headmaster if we're all dead at the feet of a bunch of Death Eaters?' Neville said, looking around to ensure that Madam Pince was not trying to listen in.

Harry thought about this and understood how important it was that all of the students know how to defend themselves properly. Then he remembered something from second year that really did not get a chance to be effective.

'Sorry Neville, but I'm afraid I can't restart the D.A. Even if it didn't mean trouble for Dumbledore, I barely have a moment's peace as it is.' Neville looked extremely down-hearted as he started to stand. 'Although there is one thing I think might be just as good, if not better. Let me speak to Dumbledore, and I'll bet he'll give us permission to reform the Dueling Club. But this time we'll have a competent professor to teach us.'

Neville's demeanor changed instantly at the suggestion, 'That would be perfect! I can't believe I didn't think of that,' Neville said in a tone conveying his frustration toward himself.

The boys walked back out of the library, both getting an extremely nasty and unwarranted look from the snippy librarian. Neville, content with the new possibility of forming a dueling club, went off toward professor McGonagall's classroom in high spirits while Harry decided he would check and see if Marc was done in his meeting with Lupin.

He walked the length of the main third floor corridor, trying and failing to think of anything but the Squib disappearances, until he reached the Defense classroom. His mind was still going over what might have happened to Filch as he turned the knob and let himself in.

He had expected to find Marc and Lupin talking about some terribly painful Dark Arts curse, or possibly practicing a new line of useful hexes and jinx'. What he did not expect was to walk in on Professor's Lupin and Black in one of the most heated arguments he had ever witnessed between professors.

'Who do you think you are to be teaching my subject to a student?' professor Black was screaming, her blonde hair no longer pulled into a bun, but falling all over her face in rage.

'The Defense professor chosen by the Headmaster,' Lupin retorted with equal anger, 'And the professor who held this job long before you.' Harry had never seen him so angry in all the time that he'd known him.

'Yes, and we all know how long that lasted!' she spat toward him as though he were beneath her.

'Ah! Good point you make Hyacinth. I am a filthy beast aren't I? Just like all werewolves. Best to remember that.' He said this smugly, and Professor Black seemed to have been hurt. She glared furiously from where she now stood behind her desk, refusing to say another word.

Harry looked up when he saw the office door open at the back of the room, and Marc step out.

'I think I found the book you wanted professor. Is this the right-' he fell silent at seeing two of his professors shooting daggers at one another.

'It's fine Marc, leave the book. We'll pick this up another day, and most certainly in a different room. You're dismissed.' Marc nodded and placed the book on Professor Black's desk before walking quickly to the door.

'Chances are your little meetings will end once I've spoken with the Headmaster,' she said to Lupin in a dangerously low voice. 'I will not have the likes of you teaching my students. Now get out of my classroom.'

Lupin stared her down one last time and Harry could have sworn he saw him bare his teeth at her before turning and following Marc out of the room, not bothering to even look at him as he passed. Before Professor Black got a chance to attack him next, Harry turned and swept out of the room, ensuring the door was closed tightly before taking off down the corridor in the direction Marc had gone.

'Marc! Wait up,' he shouted as he finally caught up to the curly haired boy. 'What's going on?' he asked.

'I don't know!' Marc answered him irritably. 'Have you ever seen two adults act like that? Professors on top of everything.' Harry decided not to mention the way Umbridge had acted around professor McGonagall, but grinned at the thought.

'Well, at least you got out of the rest of your meeting?' Harry suggested as consolation.

'I suppose, but I don't mind professor Lupin. He's great, and he knows what he's doing. What's Professor Black's problem. I can't stand her!' he shouted in frustration.

'I'm sure you're not discussing a professor in that tone,' a familiar voice chided from behind them, causing both boys to freeze and turn around slowly. Snape was standing a few feet behind them, a maliciously pleased look on his face. 'I'm afraid I'll have to remove five points from Gryffindor for each of you.'

'But Harry didn't even say-' Marc started to protest.

'Don't bother, it's no use,' he told him glaring at the hook-nosed Potions professor.

'Mr. Potter is right. Now I suggest you both be on your way and in your common room until the feast,' he told them scathingly before turning and heading toward the Defense classroom, his robes billowing ominously behind him as he walked.

'So where to?' Harry asked his friend, who gave him a confused look and then stared down the corridor after Snape.

'Snape just told us to go back to the common room,' he said, as though Harry was daft.

'No, he simply suggested we do that. I personally don't hold his suggestions in very high regard.' Both of them laughed hard at this and started to make their way down the next corridor, no destination in mind.

The pair roamed the castle halls for the next hour, Harry continuously checking his watch and looking around to make sure nobody followed them. Finally, Harry led Marc up to the Astronomy tower, having told him there was something particularly interesting going on up there. They walked into the empty space used for Astronomy lessons and Marc started looking around for something that would constitute as interesting.

'What's so great about this Harry?' Marc asked, clearly unimpressed at being in one of his most boring classrooms during his weekend time.

'Not the room, this,' Harry said quietly before reaching into his shirt collar and pulling out the shining gold chain with the newly procured Time Turner dangling from it.

'That's not a, it couldn't be a, is it really?' Marc said staring at the object in awe. 'I've always wanted to see a Time Turner, but they're so rare and quite illegal in most cases for underage wizards. How did you get it?'

'It's a long story, but I'm going to use it, and you're welcome to come with me if you like. You'll have to decide quickly because I'm leaving in,' he checked his watch again, 'fifty three seconds.'

'Where are you going and why in fifty three seconds?' Marc asked quickly, wanting to at least know what he would be getting himself into.

'My parents wedding, and because they were married on Halloween exactly eighteen years ago. The wedding starts in,' he checked his watch again, 'thirty six seconds. If we hurry we can go back and make it down to the lake quickly.'

Marc thought for a few moments, and then grinned nodding his head and rushing over to where Harry stood in the corner to have the long chain placed over his head as well. Harry thought for another moment about all the stress happening around him for the past sixteen years. He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes to see Marc doing the same.

'One, two, three,' he said before grasping the small knob labeled with a tiny 'Y' and turning it back eighteen times. Harry felt the familiar dizzying sensation and looked around expecting to see things travel backwards extremely quickly like the last time he had done this. This time however, was different. Swirls of colour spun quickly around them until it went black and things remained dark for several minutes until the bright colours returned and the spinning began to slow.

Harry could now see the rapid changing scenes around him as students he had never seen, filed in and out of the Astronomy classroom for lessons. Finally, the spinning halted and Harry and Marc found themselves standing in the astronomy tower alone. They looked around the classroom as Harry tucked the Time Turner back into his shirt and reached into his robes again for something else.

'Here Marc, get under this,' he said, revealing his invisibility cloak and draping it over his friend and himself. It was a tight squeeze as Harry was quite a bit broader in the shoulders than the previous year.

'Now we have to make sure we're not seen or history could be changed. Now let's hurry, we're late.' Marc nodded and the pair started to move quickly but carefully out of the tower.

Harry's eyes swept the corridors they passed, taking in all of the many similarities in this past time, as well as some of the changes. Most of the paintings were the same, and Harry was thankful they were hidden under the cloak as they passed the portrait of Sir Cadogan, who of course was brandishing his sword endlessly and talking to himself.

They finally made their way out of the entrance hall unseen, noticing that several House Elves were busy in the Great Hall decorating it with hundreds of white flowers. They stepped out of the Great doors and Harry stopped walking in shock when he saw the amount of people gathered around the edge of the lake in white chairs. Hundreds of students and staff, as well as certain Aurors Harry recognized were gathered for his parents wedding.

As the pair walked across the grounds to see things clearer, Harry was able to recognize far more people than he had initially thought he would see. Mad Eye Moody was seated up at the front of the crowd, his face grizzled as ever, but slightly more of his nose was intact. He also had two perfectly working eyes, making Harry wonder how long it would be before he lost one.

Most of the members of the original Order of the Phoenix were seated with Moody and Harry was surprised to see both Alice and Frank Longbottom chatting amicably to one another. Harry felt guilty as he watched the happy couple converse, both of them clearly sane and very much in love. He wished he had thought to bring Neville along. Especially after the blond boy's reminder that he too had never gotten to know his parents.

Harry and Marc started to make their way up to the front of the crowd, hoping to get a better look at the wedding party, who from the looks of it, had already made their way down the aisle. They crept along the edge of the lake, careful not to touch anyone, but also not to fall in.

A large table filled with interestingly wrapped gifts blocked their path and Harry decided that the only way to go on, would be to go under. He started to explain to Marc that he would have to take the invisibility cloak and go under the table. Harry would meet him on the other side and slip back underneath quickly, without worry of being seen by Moody's magical eye. Marc started to crouch low but stopped to point something out to Harry.

'Who do you suppose that one's from?' he asked, pointing toward a small box in the center of the table.

Harry looked over to the gift and found that it did in fact look quite out of place. While the other gift and parcels were wrapped in interesting and overly expressive papers, this present, the smallest by far, was wrapped in very simple white paper and tied tightly with an elegant bow. Harry recognized the wrapping immediately, having seen it fifteen times before. He poked a hand out to check the simple card resting on top of it and shook his head in disgust.

'Who's it from?' Marc whispered to him curiously.

'My aunt Petunia,' Harry whispered back, still quite unimpressed with the tiny gift, although he was slightly taken aback by the Dursley's sending anything at all.

'Maybe I'll meet her one day?' Marc suggested, as though this would be a possibility and not a death wish. Harry tried to contain his laughter.

'No, I don't think that will happen. The chances of you meeting my aunt are slim to none, and those are the kinds of chances you should be praying for.'

They both snickered quietly at this before Marc crouched down again and climbed under the table, effectively leaving Harry exposed. Harry bent down next, ready to climb under the table but found to his shock that he could not as someone was grabbing him by the shoulder and lifting him back up.

'What do you think you're doing?' an extremely pretty woman with straight dark brown hair and almost golden coloured eyes asked him incredulously.

'I was just, I was trying to, I-' Harry sputtered, not sure of how to cover for his time travelling.

'Lily will be out any moment and if you're not standing up at the alter she'll kill you James!' the woman said urgently.

Harry's eyes widened. Of course she thought he was his father; what reason would she have to think otherwise? He smiled and nodded firmly. 'I'm just headed there now,' he said with a smile and tried to ruffle his hair the way he remembered seeing his father do it.

'Would you quit ruffling your hair,' the woman practically shrieked, 'It's your wedding day! And what on earth are you wearing?' She had finally realised that he was dressed in his Hogwarts robes. 'That's it, you're officially dead when she sees you,' the golden eyed woman sighed in defeat. 'And what is that on your forehead?' Harry quickly flattened his hair over his scar and smiled awkwardly trying to think up an excuse. Luckily he didn't have to as the woman was called away by one of the guests.

'Gwendolyn! The Giant Squid's gone and started splashing again.'

The second the brown-haired woman had turned her eyes away, Harry darted under the table and felt Marc still crouched under it. 'Quick, get out on the other side and hold the back of the cloak up for me,' he told the boy and waited for him to quickly scramble to his feet. Both boys were soon concealed on the other side of the table, and laughed inwardly as the woman called Gwendolyn turned back to face who she thought was James. Her eyes went wide at finding him gone and she quickly looked under the table before turning on her heel with a huff and heading back into the sea of people behind her.

'That was close,' Marc whispered, and Harry nodded his agreement. 'Good thing she thought you looked like your father.'

'Either way, there will be no more leaving the invisibility cloak for any reason,' Harry said as the two of them walked up to the front of the crowd and moved in closer to actually stand next to the groomsmen.

Harry couldn't believe how happy he felt at seeing the eighteen-year-old versions of the Marauders, even if he had to stand next to a murderous traitor. Pettigrew stood, seemingly happily, next to a smiling Remus Lupin, who in turn stood next to a full faced, bright-eyed and grinning Sirius Black. Harry could feel tears in his eyes at seeing his Godfather alive and well, standing barely four feet away from him.

As though that had not been enough, not even two seconds later, James Potter stepped up to the alter in a flowing pair of black dressrobes. Harry did not think he could have smiled any wider had he tried. Seeing his father in the flesh, for the first time he could ever remember, made him happier than anything.

James Potter stood next to his best man grinning, almost an exact mirror image of his son. Harry had always been told how much he looked like his father, and seen it in his many photographs, but seeing the resemblance in person was uncanny. Now he understood why Lupin had been unable to look at him when he had transfigured his eyes to be brown.

Moments later music began and Harry and Marc both watched eagerly from their hidden position, as the soon to be Lily Potter started her march down the aisle. Harry gasped at seeing her. She was more beautiful than any of her photographs suggested, radiating a warmth and happiness that Harry so longed to know as she walked toward her fiancée, with her arm wrapped in a older man's arm.

Harry looked up at this man and realised that he was looking at his grandfather for the first time. He had graying sandy hair, reminding him of the present Lupin's, and his face was round and friendly looking. Harry noted the emerald green from which his eye colour had come.

If he remembered correctly, the kind old man would die of a heart attack the next year, leaving his wife to die of a broken heart two years later. As soon as Lily had kissed him on the cheek and walked up to the alter, Harry followed his grandfather's path to his seat where his eyes fell upon his grandmother for the first time. The dark-haired woman's face was, if possible, kinder than that of her husband's and it was clear to Harry where his mother's charisma originated. He could not help but wonder where on earth Petunia had come from.

A few moments later, Harry heard a familiar voice begin the ceremony and smiled widely at seeing professor Dumbledore once again ordaining the marriage. The ceremony was fairly quick, and before he knew it he had witnessed his parents wedding in all it's glory. Of his parents, Lily was the first one Harry heard speak.

'We thank you all for coming to the this blessed event, and now I welcome you all to join us in the Great Hall for a meal and the rest of the festivities,' she called in a surprisingly strong clear voice that sounded easily over the crowd's happy chattering.

The words had barely been spoken when the crowd began to rise and Harry and Marc were forced to move to the side of the lake once more while everyone started to make their way toward the castle. Harry continued to watch as the wedding party remained behind momentarily while Dumbledore conjured a camera and had them group together.

Harry let his eyes sweep from one face to the next, noticing the happiness and excitement on each of the Marauders and then their counterpart bridesmaids, one of them being Gwendolyn. He stopped suddenly and took a sharp intake of breath when his eyes fell onto Sirius' partner. Hyacinth Black smiled toward the camera after hitting Sirius in the back of the head playfully for having said something undoubtedly moronic. Harry stared open-mouthed at his blonde Defense professor from his nightmare, who as it now appeared, really had been at his parents wedding.

He turned to Marc to get his attention and point out that their Defense professor was standing a few feet away from them, but found that the curly-haired boy was already gaping at someone else. He turned to see who had made him react in this way and also let his jaw go slack at seeing who remained seated on the now otherwise vacated white chairs.

Severus Snape and a man who looked remarkably like Sirius sat together, talking quietly under their breath while the wedding party took their photographs. Regulus Black looked as though he and Sirius could have been twins, and had Harry not already seen his Godfather at the front of the crowd, he might have mistaken him for him.

'That's Regulus Black Marc,' Harry told the boy, who still had not removed his eyes from the man with long black hair and grey eyes.

'I know,' said Marc coldly. 'What's he doing here? He's a Death Eater isn't he,' he practically spat.

Harry was taken aback at the generally polite boy taking on this sudden dark attitude. 'Well yes, but he's probably here because his wife's in the wedding party. Did you notice?' he said, now trying to redirect the attention to their professor. Marc looked over at her, and then up at someone else.

'Yeah, and I see she's been partnered with the Death Eater's brother. Great, two of Voldemort's servants under one roof,' he spat again in disgust at seeing Sirius.

'If you're talking about Sirius, he was innocent,' Harry said, suddenly bristling at hearing the way Marc spoke about his Godfather.

'Of course he wasn't. All of the Blacks are either Death Eaters or dark wizards. Everyone knows that,' Marc corrected him, now looking back at the two men on the chairs.

This time Harry noticed he did not watch them in disgust, but simply with interest. Deciding he could explain the events leading to Sirius' assumed betrayal at a later time, he suggested to Marc that they move back into the castle so not to miss the rest of the celebration.

The rest of the evening went by quickly, both of the boys enjoying themselves thoroughly, despite being trapped under a constricting invisibility cloak. Harry had managed to pick up snippets of conversation here and there from several of his parents old friends and noted that Voldemort's rising in this time was just as severe as it would soon become in their own.

Harry was saddened at recognizing so many of the members of the original Order from the photograph that Moody had shown him the year before. He knew that the majority would either be murdered or go missing indefinitely in the next three years. He wished he could warn them some how, but Marc sensed this and warned him against it, reminding him of how history could be changed drastically if he did.

Harry also noticed that Snape was oddly fond of the golden-eyed woman, and for most of the evening had had his arms wrapped around her. He had never thought it possible for the Potions master to show any sort of emotion other that spite, hatred or anger.

As the evening came to an end, Harry decided that they should leave and told Marc that they best get back to the Astronomy tower before too many people were moving around the corridors again. He took one last longing look up at his parents, promising himself he would never forget it, and turned with Marc to hurry through the silent corridors.

The boys soon found themselves back where they had started and removed the cloak. All they had to do was get back to the present now, and no one, save for the woman who had mistaken Harry for James would have to be the wiser.

'That was incredible!' Marc said. 'Do we have to go back just yet? There's so much we could still explore.'

Harry thought about this for a moment before shaking his head and deciding that it was far to risky, especially at Hogwarts, where Dumbledore would soon be returning to his office.

'Well, is there somewhere else we could go?' he asked. 'I would say my house so that you could see my old room and stuff, but it's kinda far away,' he laughed. This gave Harry an idea.

'We could go to my old house,' he offered. 'I haven't been there in years and I wouldn't mind seeing it. I don't really remember it at all.'

'That would be great, but how do you propose we get there? Time Turners don't transport across distance, only time,' Marc reminded him.

Harry bit his lip as he thought about how he could pull this off. 'I suppose we could sneak back down to the entrance hall. Then we'll have to get back outside and off Hogwarts grounds to Hogsmeade. Once we're there we could take the Knight Bus safely. Hmm,' he paused, 'That's presuming it exists in this time.'

'That sounds awfully complicated,' Marc said with a smile, 'How about we just use a Portkey?'

Harry laughed loudly, 'A Portkey? Right, because we learned that in first year Transfiguration,' he said sarcastically before biting his lip again in thought.

'Well, I know how to do it,' Marc told him with a grin, making him snap his head back toward him.

'What? How?' he asked incredulously, not believing that a fifth year could understand the complexities of such a charm.

'My parents used them all the time. My mum hates travelling by Floo and refuses to apparate. Afraid she'd be splinched or something,' he explained to Harry. 'Meant that I got a crash course in Portkeys by age nine.'

'Even so, once the Ministry finds that we've made an illegal Portkey and trace your wand, we'll be caught and then thrown in Azkaban for unauthorized time-travel,' Harry told him disappointedly.

'Well, I'm not even born yet, so chances are that my wand hasn't been created yet. If the Ministry catches on to any strange magic, all they'll find is the signature of a particular Unicorn. I think we'll be alright.'

Harry smiled at his friend's ingeniousness before nodding his approval and giving him the address to the old Potter home.

'Now we'll have to use the Time Turner first. I'm not even born for another year and a half, so I won't even have a room to show you. We could go ahead two years though, because I'd rather skip that blessed event.' Both boys scrunched their faces in disgust at the thought.

Seconds later, Harry had once again removed the Time Turner from his shirt and placed the chain around Marc's neck before turning the knob labelled 'Y' ahead twice. The boys experienced the same effect as their initial trip and once again found themselves alone in the Astronomy tower. Harry checked his watch before once again telling Marc the address.

'And we'll have to hurry, so that none of our dorm mates notice we're gone. Ron will be furious if he finds out we left him behind.'

With that, Marc grabbed a discarded star chart from a shelf next to him and closed his eyes in concentration. Harry grabbed hold of the chart as well as Marc pointed his wand at it and said 'Portus'. Harry felt the familiar sensation of a hook behind his navel as the two were swept away from Hogwarts castle and dropped haphazardly on a patch of grass somewhere else.

Harry was the first to orient himself and stand up, brushing his robes free of dirt and leaves. Marc soon joined him and the pair looked around. The first thing Harry noticed was a signpost several feet away marked Godric's Hallow, and then turned to see what he had so often dreamed of in the past.

Tucked in the corner of the tiny street was a welcoming cottage, hidden by many flowered bushes and taller trees. The several windows of the inviting home were decorated in leaves, freshly fallen from the large boughs that hung near them. Harry could see a well kept garden running along the weaving stone path that led up to the front door. Sitting in front of the dark brown door, was a wonderfully carved Jack-O-Lantern, depicting a witch flying back and forth on a broomstick.

'It seems really nice Harry,' Marc said as they started to walk toward the home. Harry saw a light on in one of the windows and wanted to see if he could perhaps see his parents again.

Aside from his old family home, there were only two other cottages on the cozy street, each near the edges of the crescent and tucked behind their own barrages of oaks and pines. Behind his home he could see woods stretching for miles and hills climbing toward the sky on both sides, leaving his home to be the focal point set in a small, yet graceful valley.

Birds chirped, unseen from their perches in nearby trees, and owls hooted serenely as Harry and Marc walked up the stone path to get a closer look. Harry brushed his hand across a Lily as they stepped around a bush and up to the window. Peering inside they were greeted by a warm scene in a family room, where both James and Lily were seated peacefully talking to one another in front of the fire grate, a sleeping Harry in his mother's arms.

'Awww! It's baby Harry,' Marc teased, earning a punch to the arm.

The two continued to stare in for a while until they were suddenly interrupted by two soft popping noises back on the street. They both dove down behind a large bush with alarmingly yellow flowers and slowly parted the leaves to see who had arrived.

To Harry's horror he saw a dark cloaked figure followed by a short twitching one, both slowly approach the home. Harry fell backward opening and closing his mouth in horror as he felt his veins fill with ice and his mind race uncontrollably. His scar burned more fiercely than he had ever felt it before. Marc just stared at him, unsure of what was happening. Harry couldn't believe what he had done; of all the nights, how could he have forgotten.

Halloween was not only the night his parents were married, but also the night they were murdered.


	16. A Night to Remember

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A/N: Hello everyone! Glad to see that most of you are still enjoying the story and this makes me want to write more and quicker : D I love all of your reviews and I thank you for continuing to support me thus far. I've tried to respond to everyone this time, and if I've somehow missed you I apologise now : D Just in case any of you are curious, this is approximately the halfway mark. I still have approx 16-20 chaps to go. Hopefully I'll be done before May 12th. That will make exactly one year since I started it. Take care everyone and please enjoy and review. Kyle : D**

**HandsOff**: I'm afraid you'll have to read and find out. Yes, saving them would indeed change EVERYTHING! Lol. I can't say that I've ever tried a Red Bull, though I would very much like to. Take it easy, Kyle : D

**Nightwing509**: Thanks! I loved the wedding scene myself, and I'll be sure to keep the updates coming. : D

**Draco's Wife Lover**: Holy Shit indeed! I could not wait to write that. I had not intended to do it initially, but then how could I resist. Take care, Kyle : D

**Babebunny:** Consider me Damned! Lol. Thanks for the review and I'll be sure to keep writing. I have three weeks left before finals and then hopefully I can finish the whole story off. There are still about 16-20 chapters left : D Halfway there.

**DarkHuntress**: Wow, you really love that damn trio don't you, lol. I'm just bugging ya, of course they'll make up. They have to. I'm glad that you like Marc, however you're the first. : D

**Captain J737**: Thanks so much! I think that if you enjoyed the last chapter you'll probably really like this one. It's one of my favorites, at least the first half ( they're so long, lol). Catch ya later, Kyle : D

**m-girls**: omg, ok! Lol. Thanks for reviewing. Keep on sending reviews and I'll keep on sending chapters. Sounds like a great deal to me : D

**Wyadra**: Hello friend! I believe it would an understatement to say that I've sufficiently given an explanation or five, lol. Thanks for the great review and pointing out some really great things. I can tell I'll have to keep on my toes with you as a reader. Talk to you soon, Kyle : D

**Totallystrange**: Hello again! I hope all is well with you : D I understand now what you meant. I have trhe story posted elsewhere, and there general is where the canon fics go so I assumed it was the same here. Oops! Oh well, that's where it'll have to stay for now. Besides I seem to have found a whole bunch of great reviewers in this section. Oh, and as for Marc I believe that you normally would be right, but he's not Bulgarian; not even by a long shot. I've already had him say that he wanted to go to Hogwarts but his mother insisted that he go to Durmstrang. Take care, Kyle : D

**Ender74361**: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I definitely think that's how the Quidditch matches work. At least that's how it sounds in the books. Equal opportunity for each team and then the team with the most wins/points get the cup. If you count them all up, I believe I made sure every team plays the same amount of matches until the final match: that's just for a climax so I took a bit of freedom with that. I mentioned Moody's two normal eyes, but then I believe that Harry says he was glad that he didn't have to worry about the magical one in this time. Thanks for the great review and I'll be sure to check those things out eventually. Catch ya later and update soon! Lol Kyle : D

**Babies are Yummy**: Do you really eat babies! Lol I hope so, they cry too much. Jk. Good to hear you're going crazy over my story though, and I absolutely promise I won't stop updating. I refuse to promise at this point about this, but I have started planning the seventh installment as well. : D Kyle

**Susan Potter**: HERE IT IS! Lol. Thanks for the review and please keep them coming. Kyle : D

**Lights-Harp**: Well you're fun! Thanks for loving it, and keep on crazying your roommate. That's what they're for, lol. DADA prof is an evil bit isn't she? I love her though. She's modeled after a family member of mine. Ah the wonders of disfunction.

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**Chapter 16: A Night to Forget**

Harry continued to gape at the approaching figures from where he and Marc were hidden behind a shrub. Everything around him went unearthly quiet, but Harry knew that in a matter of moments there would be more than enough noise to fill the air, in forms of threats and pleas. Marc watched his older roommate with wide and worried eyes as he stared at the newcomers as though they were ghosts and his body shook violently and without control.

He tried to calm him and placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping that he might get a few answers out of him as well. As soon as he had touched Harry, he opened his mouth to speak but was abruptly cut off as Harry's hand flew to his mouth and covered it firmly. He quickly lifted a finger to his own mouth signalling his wish for silence, and shook his head vehemently as though it was a matter of life and death.

Marc stared into Harry's eyes and saw the immense fear that swam there, something unheard of for Harry Potter. Seeing the Boy-who-lived quake with such fear finally had Marc realize exactly who he was looking at. He too stumbled back a bit and his eyes widened in fear and shock. His own eyes though, reflected an equal amount of anger as they did fear. He understood why Harry looked so afraid and was now filled with a certain amount of pity for his friend; Harry was not afraid of Lord Voldemort, but he was afraid of what he was going to be forced to watch.

Marc set a determined look on his face before reaching into his robes and slowly pulling out his wand. Harry, noticing this, once again jutted his arm out and grabbed Marc's hand, still shaking his head determinedly. Marc couldn't take it. How could he just sit there and do nothing, knowing that his parents would soon be murdered before his very eyes.

'What are you doing?' Marc hissed in barely a whisper. 'You can save them. Warn them. Tell them to apparate or something.' He was beginning to sound frantic as Harry continued to just stare at him now.

'I can't,' he finally said. 'I wish I could, but if that monster sees me or you, do you know what kind of damage could be done? How history could be changed?'

'Yeah, you would have your parents right now and you wouldn't be the most famous wizard in the world. Sounds terrible,' Marc said angrily, as though it was a very simple decision. Harry shook his head again defiantly, tears forming in his eyes.

'If my mum doesn't die protecting me, Voldemort won't fall. What kind of world would we live in then?' he asked with a quivering voice. 'Don't you think I'd rather live with them? Not have to worry about being chased by Death eaters for the rest of my Life? It just wouldn't work, I've played it over and over in my head. If they got away it wouldn't change anything. He would just keep chasing them until he caught them again, maybe tomorrow or next week. And then we might not be that lucky.'

Marc didn't like the idea of doing nothing but remained silent now as he and Harry ducked lower, waiting for the inevitable. Not even two seconds later, the pair felt the bush move slightly as Voldemort walked quietly passed them and up to the front door. If he had simply turned his head slightly to the left he would have seen the boy he had come for. Harry could see him clearly now from where he crouched, unable to look away. Voldemort raised his wand with grim satisfaction, and with a downward slash and no audible curse, the thick brown door was blown off of its hinges allowing him to step over the threshold.

The next few moments were almost unbearable for Harry as he heard Voldemort's voice threaten his father. He had been taken aback at how deep and human his voice had sounded. Apparently when the Dark Lord was first in power he had been much more Tom Riddle than Voldemort.

'There is really no point James. I will get what I came for.'

'You will never lay a finger on my family. You're just a monster and you'll never win, not with Dumbledore around!' Harry heard a loud growl after the last comment. Voldemort had clearly already feared Dumbledore at this time.

'There are no monsters James, just people who are willing to do anything for power, and those too weak to stop them. I offer you the chance to join me James. You would do well as a Death Eater.' Harry began to shake again at hearing this. Not from fear, but rage at the thought of his father ever being associated with Death Eaters.

'I'll die before I join you,' he heard his father shout in utter disgust, and felt that his father had probably said far fewer things with such adamancy.

'Easily arranged,' came Voldemort's response. 'Goodbye James Potter. Avada Kedavra!'

Harry tensed at hearing these words spoken and closed his eyes when he saw the bright green light glow from the doorway and momentarily light up the fog that had begun to form around the home. He waited, and not a second later heard the heavy thud of James Potter's body hitting the floor. Marc looked horrified as he watched the tears swell in his friends eyes, unable to help or comfort him in any way.

Another minute passed as the boys listened for what they knew would come next, but the pause seemed to go on for ever. Harry cautiously lifted himself up and looked carefully into the window. He recoiled the instant he saw his father's body heaped at the base of the staircase. It was not that he had never seen a dead body before, but the glassy empty look of his father's eyes cut through him and hurt more than he had expected.

Harry landed on the ground back next to Marc on the grass and leaned his back on a tree, breathing extremely heavily and keeping his lids tightly shut. Marc reached out a hand to console his new best friend, but was stopped suddenly by a new set of screams that pierced the air; two adults and one infant.

'No, not Harry! Please not Harry!' Lily Potter's voice carried out onto the street, terrified and full of tears. Harry closed his eyes tighter and tried to block it from his mind. He could hear his younger self's muffled cries from where he was undoubtedly being held against his mother.

'Get out of the way you foolish girl!' Voldemort's voice hissed scathingly.

'No! Not Harry, take me instead!' Lily screamed as though she thought it might hold him off longer.

'There is no instead,' the cold voice said with what sounded like amusement. 'Avada Kedavra!'

Harry started to shake again as the scream he had so often heard in his dreams sounded all around him, louder than he could have ever imagined, threatening to pierce his eardrums and shatter the window above him. Just as quickly as it had started, the scream ended, and the boys were once again met with a hollow thud. Marc winced as he pictured the redhead hitting the floor and then heard the clear and unmuffled cries of a baby, now clearly helpless and completely vulnerable to the monster that stood before it.

Marc pulled himself up to sit beside Harry and squeezed his arm as a show of support. He was surprised when Harry's eyes flung open and he quickly got to his feet, leaving a gaping Marc to scramble up beside him, unsure of what he was doing.

'Are you insane Harry? Get back here,' he hissed at the raven haired boy as he walked out from behind the bush. 'I hate to be insensitive mate, but they're already gone. You've made your decision.'

'Yeah but he's not,' came Harry's cold reply, his face now determinedly set as he turned back toward the doorway. 'And I'm going to watch this. I deserve to see this much,' he added with such a stony voice that Marc was caught off guard and took a step back at hearing it.

'You can't Harry, what about the other Death Eater?' he asked as he too stepped out to grab Harry's arm.

But Harry never got the chance to answer as an unearthly scream filled the air followed by the most blinding green light Harry had ever seen, causing both of them to shut their eyes and throw their hands to their ears. Not a second later, they were both thrown backward into the bush as a thundering explosion sounded, shaking the cottage to its core and they both felt heavy objects landing on their legs.

They lay immobile for a few moments, unsure of what to do. Marc was the first to open his eyes and push the large piece of wood off of his legs to turn and check if Harry was alright. He too opened his eyes and the sight set before them was one that neither of them would ever forget.

The once welcoming cottage now lay in a smouldering heap of rubble, all but two of the walls having crumbled away helplessly at the explosion. Most of the furniture in the home popped and crackled as they were engulfed in green flames, each bit of fire dancing victoriously as it burned. The bodies of James and Lily Potter remained intact and exactly in the places they had fallen, looking to the rest of the world as though they were killed by accident and not murdered viciously.

What bothered Marc the most now was not the ring of flames burning ominously around the destroyed home, or the immediate threat of Death Eaters around them, or even the sight of his best friend's parents laying dead and wide-eyed before him. What tugged at his heart the most was the sight among the wreckage and the sound that met his ears.

Where the cottage had once been the focal point in a beautiful valley, a scared and crying baby now attracted attention in the middle of what appeared to be destruction. A lone child with a small lightning shaped cut on his forehead sat crying and bleeding among the remains of his home and family, helpless and confused.

The Dark Lord had been vanquished, but for this child the worst had already been done. Voldemort had made him suffer more than he would ever know. The boy was now alone, without parents, without safety, and without love. He had vanquished the Dark Lord and saved the wizarding world, but at a great personal cost. He had done a great deed for society without ever trying and would not know it for another ten years. This was the day his suffering began. He was the boy who lived.

Marc turned to Harry to indicate that they should get away quickly before someone saw them, but was shocked to find him moving toward the scene. Harry walked quickly and meaningfully toward his parents bodies, first his father's and then his mother's. He sadly reached out a hand and swiftly swept their eyes closed, letting tears drop quietly onto the ground as he did. Then he stood and made his way to his younger self and crouched down low beside the baby. He knew he didn't have long before Hagrid would appear and then Sirius.

'It's alright Harry,' he said quietly, reaching out a hand to console the child.

Marc tried to stop him as he watched him remove his wand and point it at him. Harry muttered something quietly and Marc watched as the blood left the infants face and in its place sat a fresh red scar.

'Don't worry Harry,' Harry told his younger self in a hushed but caring voice. 'Everything will be alright. One day you'll know what happened and you'll be proud.' He paused for a moment and leaned down to look into his own emerald eyes. 'And you'll be loved.'

The infant stopped crying and stared at him with interest before reaching a tiny arm into the air and placing his hand on Harry's identical scar. 'I know,' Harry said sadly before leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead, 'but it will all be alright, I promise.'

Harry stood up then and turned his back on the child to rush toward a disbelieving Marc. As soon as he was standing next to him he pulled the Time Turner out of his shirt and watched as Marc picked up his invisibility cloak.

'Let's get out of here Harry,' Marc said pleadingly.

'Just one more second,' he said as he watched the scene intently from where they stood behind a tree. Not ten seconds passed when Hagrid appeared out of thin air, having travelled by portkey and quickly took in the scene around him. Harry could hear the wracking sobs coming from the half-giant and fought hard to hold back the rest of his own tears. Marc suggested they should leave again but stopped when he heard a loud rumbling above them. They both looked up and only Marc was surprised to see a giant motorbike fly low in front of them before landing next to Hagrid.

The next few minutes were tense as the boys watched Hagrid and Sirius's exchange before Hagrid mounted the motor bike with the infant tucked in his arms and flew off into the night.

Marc glared venomously at Sirius, but Harry watched him through caring eyes and shared his pain. He felt a sharp pain in his chest at seeing Sirius yell into the night furiously after kneeling next to his best friend's dead body. The last thing he saw of his Godfather was him apparating away, and he felt guilty for not preventing his going to Azkaban.

As Marc's third plea to go home reached his ears, Harry placed the Time Turner around the other boys neck and reached down to spin the dial. Marc lifted his wand at the same time to activate their portkey and Harry shouted at him to stop but it was no use. The dial had been spun and the portkey activated. Harry's eyes widened suddenly as the last thing he saw before the spinning commenced was a familiar face in the woods fifty meters away. Severus Snape.

The travelling was not at all like the last few trips they had taken. If Harry had thought the portkey travel was sickening then this would surely have him sick all over. He felt the sensation of a hook behind his navel pull him up before the colours around him began to swirl and go black as they had done before. Things and people swirled by them once more, but this time at a far faster pace and it was even harder to try and focus as they were being thrown around instead of simply standing.

Finally the swirling stopped and the pair was dropped heavily onto a hard stone floor. Harry took a few deep breaths before opening his eyes and taking in their surroundings. He stood up and saw that they were in fact back at Hogwarts and in the Astronomy tower. Everything looked right and the trip had felt as though both devices had worked correctly. He reached a hand out and helped Marc to his feet.

'Thanks. It's good to be home,' he said with a small smile and looked at Harry for any sign of a response. Harry gave a half-hearted smile but said nothing before turning to the door and heading down the steps, Marc following closely behind him. Neither of them spoke again until they had reached the third floor.

'If it's possible Marc, I'd really rather if we never-' he was cut off by his friend nodding adamantly.

'Ever. You have my word,' the curly-haired boy said with a solemn expression that conveyed his intentions.

The boys walked along the hallways quietly after that, both understanding without the need for words, that what they had just witnessed was undoubtedly a night to forget. They walked silently to the end of the third floor staircase, casually waving at the many occupants of the portraits they passed, and soon found themselves standing in front of the fat lady.

'Murtlap Sap,' Harry said unenthusiastically, and waited for the portrait to swing forward so that he might crawl into his bed and never think of this night again. The portrait didn't open.

'I said Murtlap Sap,' he tried again, this time louder and with annoyance at obviously having been ignored.

'I'm sorry dear, but that is not the password. If you could just be on your way now,' the fat lady said before looking away from him again.

'I will not be on my way. Murtlap sap was the password this morning. If Hermione's changed it again,' he went on, his anger now boiling up after the night he had experienced.

'I'm sorry, but that was never the password dear. Now kindly step away.'

Marc sighed deeply at being kept from his bed this late at night. He really did not feel like sleeping on the cold floor out in the corridors, but he would do that over finding McGonagall at this hour to let them in.

'You let me in!' Harry cried now, unable to control his anger, and stepped forward to bang his fists loudly on her frame. 'Ron! Hermione! Let us in! The wench won't open up.'

The boys heard the bustling of people on the other side and were relieved when the portrait finally swung open. Unfortunately, Harry was unprepared for what he saw and promptly fainted, unable to handle the shock. The last thing he saw before falling over was the equally shocked face of a sixteen year old James Potter.

Harry opened his eyes with great effort a few moments later to look around and find out what he had actually seen, hoping against all chances that his eyes were in working order. He was surprised to find that he was no longer outside the Gryffindor common room, but now seated in the Headmaster's office, directly across from a staring Dumbledore. His eyes widened as he took in his Headmaster's younger appearance, the absence of many fine lines and wrinkles and the slivers of light brown still found in his hair and beard. The one thing that remained the same, Harry noticed, was the twinkling in the old man's blue eyes.

He looked around the room and found that Marc was sitting next to him and looking at the floor, definitely looking guilty and not wanting to look the Headmaster in the eye. He looked at the boy next to him and nearly fainted again. It was his father. James Potter sat perfectly quiet, watching this boy who fit a perfect mirror image of himself, save for the eyes, with an identical shocked expression.

'Perhaps I should start,' Dumbledore said in his regular calm and collected way, eyes sparkling as much as ever. They watched as lifted a large glass bowl off his desk and held it out toward them with a warm smile. 'Lemon drop?' he offered. Both new arrivals shook their heads, but James was quick to reach in and pop one in his mouth.

'You two are new are you not?' Dumbledore then continued as he also enjoyed one of the sweets. 'I have yet to see you within the walls of Hogwarts, therefore I can only assume that you are new. Is this the case?' he asked with a merry glint in his eyes.

Marc continued to look at the ground, fiercely ignoring the old man and clearly intent on preventing the timeline from changing. Harry looked back to the Headmaster and offered what he felt would be the best explanation, feeling certain that he and Marc would not be able to avoid Dumbledore without telling him something.

'Yes sir, we are new. Well, new to this school. We just came from Durmstrang sir,' he continued and was surprised to see the sudden look of disgust on James' face at hearing this news. 'I assumed that you would have spoken to our old Headmaster,' he continued, trying his best to ignore the glares he and Marc were now receiving. Once done speaking, he gave a sidelong glance at James before giving Dumbledore a meaningful look.

Dumbledore gave the slightest of smiles before continuing.

'I see, well then I suppose we shall have to have you sorted and you will receive your timetables in the morning,' he said as though this sort of thing was a daily occurrence at Hogwarts. Harry snorted when he realised that it was.

'Are you serious professor?' James now said angrily, his chair falling loudly behind him as he stood up, clearly unimpressed with the Headmaster's decision. 'You're just going to let a couple of strangers join the school? A couple of strangers who claim to come from the dark wizarding school and who just happened to know where Gryffindor tower was?'

Dumbledore simply looked up at the agitated youth, an unfaltering expression on his face. If anything Harry thought that the gleam in his eyes had brightened, making him struggle to suppress a smirk.

'Yes James, I am. It does seem odd that they knew the location of Gryffindor tower, but I assure you that not all wizards from Durmstrang are evil. Unless of course you consider Professor Vector's teachings to be dodgy.' The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he suggested this. 'And I remind you James, that when you first arrived at Hogwarts for your first year, you too were a stranger.' The tone Dumbledore used was not harsh or punitive, but it did carry a sense of finality, leading James to cross his arms and lean back in his seat with an indignant sniff from his nostrils.

'Now James, if you could please go back to your dormitory, I have to welcome our new students to the castle. Do please keep this to yourself until tomorrow morning at breakfast.'

It was clear to all those in the room that this was not a request as James nodded grudgingly and gave both boys a skeptical glance before heading from the office. As soon as Harry was sure that James was out of hearing distance he perked up significantly and felt better knowing that he did not have to worry about slipping any future secrets.

'Thank you professor Dumbledore, I'm so relieved you'll allow us to be sorted in the morning,' Harry said, knowing full well that in a matter of minutes he and Marc would be leaving and going back to their own time, making the entire ordeal quite unnecessary.

'Well I believe it to be the least I could do for my future students,' the Headmaster said with a raised eyebrow. 'Now tell me, how exactly do you intend on getting back to your own time?' He seemed overly amused by this.

Harry let his jaw drop and Marc's head flew up at hearing what the old man said. How could he have possibly known they were from the future?

'I did not give you my name, and yet you already knew it. You also called me professor. I think it safe to assume that you will one day be students under my direction,' he smiled at Harry's shocked face. 'And then there's what's left of that contraption around your neck.'

Now Harry and Marc both looked at the Time Turner that hung low against Harry's robes, not having been tucked back under upon their arrival, and were disturbed to find that all that was left was a small ball of melted gold.

'Oh no!' Marc said loudly, letting his head drop into his hands dramatically with a groan. 'We're never going to get out of here now. My mum's going to kill me... if we ever get home. Not to mention McGonagall.'

Harry took a moment before speaking again, now with a reassuring smile on his face. 'Don't worry Marc. I'm sure the Headmaster will lend us his Time Turner to get home, isn't that right professor?' Dumbledore looked at him curiously, his calm expression still in place.

'Don't you get it Harry?' Marc shouted at him, 'Time Turners aren't created for another twelve years. We're stuck here.' Harry's eyes widened as he realized what they had done.

Dumbledore continued to look at them curiously as he thought about their predicament. 'Well, I believe the best I can do is to allow my offer to stand. You shall join the other students in their lessons tomorrow after you have been sorted. There's no need for you to miss out on your learning while I try to find a way to send you home. What year are you two in?' he added with mild curiosity as he conjured some forms from a shelf high above.

'I'm from sixth and Marc's from fifth,' Harry said casually.

'Marc is it?' Dumbledore said with a raised eyebrow, reminding both boys that they had still not introduced themselves.

'Yes sir, Marcus Evans,' he said quietly and held out a hand to shake the Headmaster's.

'You wouldn't be son to one Lily Evans, would you?' he asked, one eyebrow still inclined.

'No sir,' he said with the first laugh in hours and a glance at Harry, who also shared the joke. 'I'm afraid you've got the wrong one.'

'I'm Harry sir, Harry Potter. And Lily Evans is my mother.' Dumbledore leaned back in his seat and smiled at this news. His eyes seemed to shine more fiercely than ever before. He was pleased.

'Very well. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you not to tell me any more about the future. It is bad enough that you have been seen by your father Harry. I'll assume it is safe to say you are both Gryffindors?'

'Yes professor.' Harry said, and then stole a sidelong glance at the Sorting Hat, peacefully sitting on a high shelf muttering quietly to itself. 'Is it possible not to be sorted tomorrow professor? I'm afraid that if the hat reads my mind it may be catastrophic. Lately it's been giving the school warnings in the form of songs, and I rather doubt you wish to hear the future spilled about the Great Hall. I take it the students wouldn't take well to hearing Voldemort's name sung about.' Dumbledore's eyes widened at hearing this and they darkened significantly. 'Sorry professor,' Harry said quickly, realising that he had just informed the Headmaster and Head of the Order of the Phoenix that the Dark Lord was still around in eighteen years, 'I won't mention it again.'

'Very good Mister Potter. You and Mr. Evans shall join Gryffindor in the morning and I shall take care of the rest. To the rest of the students you will be exchange wizards from Durmstrang and we will find you suitable names by then. In the mean time, do you wish to join the Gryffindors tonight?'

'I think it best if we wait. I know of the perfect room to hold us tonight professor,' he said with a wink at his friend.

'On the seventh floor perhaps?' Dumbledore smiled knowingly and Harry nodded with a small grin. 'Very well, I shall see you both at breakfast before you join your classes,' he said before dismissing them.

Marc and Harry walked quietly to the seventh floor corridor to where Harry knew he would find a hanging of Barnabas Barney being clubbed by trolls. They walked past an empty spot on the wall opposite the hanging a few times thinking hard of how badly they would like to get to sleep. Moments later the familiar brass door handle appeared and the pair walked into what looked like their Gryffindor dormitory.

Two four-posters were set in the middle of the room, and what surprised Harry was that at the base of each bed were their trunks. Harry walked over to the window at the back of the room and looked over the grounds. The forest was just as dark as it had ever been and Hagrid's hut stood out in the inky dark, its window's glowing brightly from the fire burning inside the small home.

Harry turned back to his four-poster and quietly said goodnight to his roommate before pulling the hangings shut and laying down for a restless night's sleep. He tried hard to clear his mind of everything that had happened in the past few hours, but found it absolutely impossible. He could still see his parents' lifeless eyes, and hear his mother's heart shattering scream, but what he remembered the most vividly was feeling the little Harry place his hand on his scar. He closed his eyes tightly and only let a few tears fall before falling asleep. Tonight he did not dream.

Harry was awakened the next morning by Marc, getting up and moving around the room in a flurry, trying to get his school robes on and tame his hair, his nerves clearly putting him on edge. It was the second time in two months he had joined Hogwarts as an exchange student from Durmstrang and was not looking forward to going through the change again.

'We're already late for breakfast. There's only about twenty minutes until lessons begin!' he shouted at Harry who looked like he could easily have slept another week if undisturbed

A few minutes later, Harry found himself hurtling down the corridors next to his roommate until they stopped dead in front of the Great Hall. The doors were shut and Harry didn't feel like walking in late. He received more than enough attention in his own time, and certainly did not need it in this one. They could hear the chatter and laughter of students on the other side, wafting through the thick ornate doors as though they were thin as parchment.

'I'll go first,' Marc offered, and before Harry could reply he had pushed the doors open and strode in. Harry instantly heard the chatter die down and then restart in a hush of whispers. Harry took a deep breath and then followed his friend in, hoping that no one would think his scar odd.

The instant he entered the hall, silence fell again, but was soon punctured by gasps and several confused questions. He walked to the front of the hall quickly to meet his smiling friend, hearing snippets of conversation as he walked past the house tables. It appeared that his scar was the last thing he should have worried about, his entire appearance being something far more interesting.

'Who do you think they are? One looks like James Potter. Are they new students? I heard he was a demon,' he heard a couple of girls say. He shook his head and kept going, now with a grin plastered on his face.

He reached the staff table and found that he recognized some of the professors, but not all. Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat to make an announcement. Harry smiled and chuckled to himself at seeing the Headmaster's vivid blue, crimson, and emerald robes. Apparently Dumbledore had always had his eccentric and expensive tastes in clothing, making him by far the brightest clad object in the hall.

Harry had his back turned on the professors and found that most of them were watching their backs intently, wanting to know exactly who they were. The look on the other professor's faces told him that they had not yet been informed of the new arrivals. McGonagall in particular looked far from pleased at being taken by surprise, her lips pulled thinly into a straight line and her dark eyes narrowed into mere slits as she surveyed them.

'I have an announcement,' Dumbledore started. ' I would like to introduce you to two of our new students, just transferred here from Durmstrang.' Just as James had seemed offended by this news, most of the other students in the hall now seemed bothered by it as well, not so hushed voices rushing through the crowd.

'I am sure you will all make them fell comfortable and please do not badger them with questions. I am sure they are quite tired from their journey. Now Mr. Harry Portus and Mr. Marc Turner will be joining Gryffindor after our private sorting this morning, Harry in Sixth year, and Marc in fifth. Please join your table boys.'

The Gryffindor table roared in delight at gaining a couple of older students and even professor McGonagall seemed pleased to hear this. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she got a good look at him in class.

'Oh, and I've been asked to remind certain students that dung bombs are clearly on the caretaker's list of unacceptable Hogwarts items,' he added with a small smile at the Gryffindor table before sitting back down.

Harry and Marc hurried over to their new table and sat down next to a group of students that they did not know, each of them smiling and now patting the boys on the back in congratulations. Just to their left, Harry noticed a group of four boys watching him intently and smiled when he recognized them all. The Marauders watched them in silence for a while as the other students told the newcomers about what classes would be like and which professors to watch for.

Finally they were handed their timetables by a seventh year boy with light brown hair and warm eyes. Harry instantly recognized him as Gideon Prewett, one of the original members of the Order.

'These will be your Time Tables. It's a pleasure to meet you,' he said holding out his hand for them both to shake. 'I'm Gideon Prewett, Head Boy.' At this point another seventh year boy stood and knocked the Head Boy out of the way, holding his hand out instead.

'And I'm Fabian Prewett, the much better Prewett,' the blonde boy said, grinning at his twin. Many of the Gryffindors laughed at this and the brothers began to wrestle playfully in their seats. Harry smiled but was deeply saddened to see these two men alive and well, when he knew they would be murdered together by five Death Eaters in less than three years time.

After eating a quick breakfast, Marc and Harry were forced to say goodbye to their new housemates and to one another and headed to their separate classes, Marc to Care of Magical Creatures and Harry to Potions. He grumbled as he walked through the entrance hall, not wanting to have anything to do with this class, but knowing that he would have to put up with it until Dumbledore could send them home.

Harry reached the Dungeons quickly and was, for one of the first times in his Hogwarts career, early for Potions. He sat up near the front of the class in his regular seat and waited for the Potions Master to arrive, undoubtedly ready to insult him like every other morning. Another minute passed before Harry heard the familiar sneer of Severus Snape and when he turned around to glare was caught off guard at seeing the sixteen-year-old sit down right next to him.

'I'll ask you to get away from my station, Portus was it?' he hissed coldly to Harry.

Harry blinked a few times. He had forgotten that Snape would still be a student and not a professor, but this was still slightly shocking to him, and even a little amusing. He looked exactly the way Harry had seen him in his older version's pensieve the year before, still with greasy hair and the pair of robes that Harry assumed were his only ones.

'What do you mean your station,' Harry asked plainly. 'I don't see your name on it.'

'I've worked here alone for the past six years. Now go find somewhere else you filthy Gryffindor,' he said with such disdain Harry was irked. Even the grown Snape wasn't this hate-filled, and if he was he apparently had great self restraint on most occasions.

'He can work wherever he likes Snivellus,' a voice called in to the room from behind them, making both students twirl around quickly. James and Sirius had just walked in followed carefully by Remus who was busy reading a book, his shining scarlet Prefects badge glinting in the torchlight.

'Shut it Potter!' Snape cried, 'If you like him so much he can work with you! Not that he'd want to. At least with me, he would be sure a passing grade.' Now Harry could see a conflicted look in Snape's eyes. On one hand he had told Harry to beat it, but on the other he had just said that he would be better off if he stayed simply to annoy his rival.

'There's nothing in this world that could make a Gryffindor work with a Slytherin,' James' retort came, harsh and cold. Sirius gave a glare that backed up his friend's statement and more.

'I'm afraid you are quite wrong Mister Potter, as I do believe I am such a thing,' came an even colder voice from the front of the room. Harry felt a shived traverse his spine at the iciness of the voice and almost didn't want to see from what it originated. He slowly turned to see a very severe looking woman with long dark hair braided and pulled into a tight bun. She had the darkest eyes he had ever seen, making Snape's pale in comparison. She stepped from her office and securely shut the door before stepping forward to her desk and continuing.

'Mister Portus will in fact be working with our Mister Snape today, unless you see this as a problem Mister Potter,' she said this firmly and Harry was given the impression that no one would dare speak up. Very well. Welcome to my class Mister Portus.'

Upon seeing the boy in front of her, the professor's dark eyes widened and a look of mild surprise could be seen as she quickly looked from Harry to James and back again, before regaining composure.

'I am Professor Sharpbane,' she said in an icier tone than before, 'and you will find that my class is not for the weak minded,' she shot a glare at Sirius and James. Harry understood immediately where Snape had found his role model.

'Now take out your texts and open them to page four hundred and twelve.' Professor Sharpbane continued to explain the day's work before flicking her wand at the blackboard and having the instructions scrawled across it.

Harry read the instructions closely before crossing the room to the supply cupboard for the boomslang skin.

'Mister Portus, perhaps you should allow Severus to collect the ingredients. He is after all competent,' the professor's voice reached across the room, her eyes filled with malice. Harry could see Snape's lip curling up in a grin and his blood began to boil. 'I think I can manage thank you very much,' he called back and watched as her eyes narrowed and the class fell silent. Snape's grin widened.

'You do, do you?' she started in a threateningly low voice. 'Very well, I suppose our newest student deserves to be treated just as any of the others. I was willing to allow you a week before testing, but as it appears you feel yourself so gifted, we shall do it now. You will answer a short quiz Mister Portus, and I'm afraid that if you do not receive at least an Exceeds Expectations, you will have to leave my classroom.'

Harry could see James and Sirius shaking their heads at him like he was a fool, and glaring hard at their professor. Remus, on the other hand, was watching attentively with what looked like a curious expression on his face. Harry supposed he wanted to know how intelligent the new student would turn out to be. Harry nodded his understanding and quickly returned to his seat with the boomslang skin so that he could write his test. He was mildly surprised when professor Sharpbane began to quiz him out loud in front of the class.

'What will I get Mister Portus, when I add the boomslang skin to the unicorn blood?', she started fairly simple.

'That would be the base for the healing potion, professor,' he said with a smile and waited for the next question.

'Correct,' she added and continued unperturbed. 'And what would I get if I added daisy root to the root of Asphodel and ground them with the venom from an acromantula?' she asked, looking pleased with her question.

The look on many of the students' blank faces told him that they had not yet covered this particular potion. He however, had read his entire text. 'That would be the last addition in the Vanesco Minimus potion,' Harry said with the same smile as before. The smile widened as the professor's eyes narrowed further and she looked him up and down sourly. She had felt confident that he would miss that one.

'Correct,' she said slowly. 'Now tell me Mister Portus. What would I get if I added a unicorn's tail hair to a mixture of boomslang's skin, three-part dried herb and two-part slick substance, and allowed it to brew for a week?' She now looked extremely pleased with herself, and Harry noticed the calculating look on both Lupin's and Snape's faces as they worked it out in their minds.

'Well professor, you wouldn't have much,' he said plainly and saw as she smiled in triumph.

'I'm afraid that's not correct, and that lowers your score to a-'

'I'm sorry professor, what I meant to say, and I should have been more clear, is that you would have an extremely useless Polyjuice Potion, as it must be left to stew for three weeks before consumption.' The professor's eyes widened at his interruption. 'And then there's the fact that the Unicorn's tail hair would alter the effects as Polyjuice Potion should only contain a hair from the host the brewer wishes to appear as. Using animal hair can create very unfortunate results,' he finished with a smile; the thought of Hermione's mishap in third year sweetening his success.

'Very well,' she snapped at him, her features now returned to their normal stony self. 'Take your seat and start your work. If you ever interrupt me again Mister Portus, I will be forced to remove points from Gryffindor.'

Two hours later, Harry found himself sitting in the Great Hall for lunch with Marc and the Prewett brothers. Marc had told him all about his first two classes, before Harry explained how his double Potions had gone.

'Sorry you still have to deal with Snape,' Marc said to him quietly in a pitying voice, but it was strongly belied by his grin. Harry nodded and gave a mock scowl, but what he did not say was that he truly did not mind working with him, and that they surprisingly made a good team.

At the end of the lesson Harry had found himself gathering his things and leaving the Potions classroom after having created a near-perfect shrinking potion and receiving an outstanding for the day. He was surprised by how well he worked alongside Snape and aside from several snide remarks along the way he could tell that Snape was impressed with his work. Even professor Sharpbane had complimented the results. Most likely because he had worked with her favorite pupil.

Harry continued to listen to Marc's tale of how he was now undergoing the study of Thestrals in Care, again, and how he really disliked the creatures. Then he listened to some of the apparently infamous tales of the Prewett twins, several of them describing summer adventures spanning over a week's time. He ate and listened to these tales contentedly until he was suddenly distracted by a large mass of bright auburn hair coming through the great doors of the hall.

Lily Evans walked through the doors, surrounded by three other girls, one on each side of her, and then one following closely behind. Lily and the two beside her turned quickly to say something to the other, before she gave a smile and wave and then went off to sit at the Ravenclaw table. The other three continued to the Gryffindor table where they sat down right across from Harry and Marc.

'Hello ladies,' Fabian said with a wide grin as he placed an arm around the girl with short light brown hair sitting to Lily's left. 'And how are you all doing on this fine day?'

'Shut it Fabian,' Lily said with narrowed eyes, 'We've already told you you can find someone else to go to Hogsmeade with.'

'If you can find anyone who doesn't mind looking at your face,' the brunette to her right added as she stuck her tongue out at him in a show of maturity.

Fabian gave them a mock wounded look before breaking into a grin and throwing his arm around his brother. 'No worries, Gideon here will always be at my side. Right until the end, isn't that right?' His brother flung his arm off and rolled his eyes, everyone around them laughing except Harry. Odd as it sounded, Harry knew that that was exactly how it would end.

'Hi there, Marcus was it?' Lily said holding out a hand toward Marc once they had stopped laughing. 'I'm Lily Evans.'

'Yeah, but please call me Marc,' he said throwing out his hand to enthusiastically shake hers. Harry rolled his eyes when he saw the light-haired brunette next to his mother blush at looking at his friend.

'And that would make you Harry then?' she said, now shaking his hand as well as he nodded. 'These two are my best friends as well another girl from Ravenclaw, but I'm sure you'll meet her eventually. This is Sophie,' she indicated to the brunette that was still ogling Marc, 'and this is Gwendolyn.'

Harry looked closer at the chestnut brunette and realized that he had met her the night before at the wedding. She had been one of the four bridesmaids, along with Sophie and presumably the Ravenclaw girl. She was also the woman who had almost caught him as a time traveller, but luckily mistook him for James. Harry smiled at this girl warmly and noticed the brightness of her near golden eyes as she smiled back.

The small group chatted for a while about nothing in particular, Fabian trying at regular intervals to get one of them to go on a date with him, until finally the warning bell for next lesson sounded and the Hall filled with the bustle of students heading to their classrooms.

'Are you in Transfiguration now,' Harry heard Lily ask above the chatter.

'Uh, yeah I am,' he answered after briefly scanning his new timetable.

'Good, you can walk with me. Gwendolyn and Sophie have double Divination,' she said, pulling a face at the thought of the subject. Harry smiled, instantly liking his mother even more.

They continued to chat about what courses were actually worth taking and Harry learned that his mother already wished to be an Auror, as they entered the Transfiguration classroom. Harry was warned to pay attention in this class as professor McGonagall was known to be quite strict. Harry tried to hide a smile at this and nodded his understanding before they took their seats, once again at the front of the room.

'You don't mind being my partner do you?' she asked him, suddenly realising that she had forgotten to do so but then dragged him to sit next to her.

'Not at all,' he said with a smile. 'I'm sure you're quite adept in the subject and if not then I'm sure I could teach you a thing or two.' He smiled knowingly, having learned from McGonagall that she was in fact brilliant in Transfiguration.

Lily raised an eyebrow in his direction and smirked. 'I hoped you would be my partner so that I might avoid working with one of those idiots,' she pointed to four very familiar wizards on the other side of the room, 'but now I'm not so sure who's more arrogant.'

Harry could not smother his laughter when he saw the glare Lily sent across the room to James and Sirius. 'Never mind, I'll keep you,' she said finally, as professor McGonagall walked in briskly and stood at the front of the room.

'Today, we will be working in pairs to transfigure slightly larger objects into animals and then back again. Last week we learned how to transfigure our desks, but not how to return them to their original state,' she started her lesson, briefly eyeing the group of males at the back of the room suspiciously. She then went on to explain the wand movement needed for the particular bit of magic and then told everyone to pair off.

Barely five minutes had gone by when McGonagall started her rounds around the room, criticizing or complimenting the various degree of spell work. Harry and Lily were her third stop and Harry barely held in a snort of laughter when she made her comment. She had spent several seconds watching them cast their spells and then looked shocked when Lily laughed and pulled on Harry's sleeve playfully before complementing him on his work.

'Very good the both of you!' she said after retaining her firm resolve. 'Five points to Gryffindor for each of you. Five for the spell work and five for working well together on your own, without a single insult,' she added with a raised eyebrow. 'If things continue this way, I may have to continue the Evans, Potter combination for the rest of the term.'

'You bloody will not!' an indignant shout came from the back of the room, followed closely by howls of laughter. McGonagall looked up to see who would be losing points and nearly fell over when she saw the highly affronted look on James Potter's face, and the bent over form of Sirius Black shaking with laughter on the classroom floor.

She quickly looked back to the boy standing next to Lily and her eyes widened significantly, making Harry grin further and chuckle slightly.

'It's uncanny isn't it?' he suggested with a small laugh, getting a small chuckle from most of the room, only enforcing the laughter from Sirius' racking body. 'Although I must say that your reaction has been my favorite thus far professor,' he added with a small smile at the old woman, who was still looking back and forth between the near identical youths.

'Yes, well. It is quite intriguing Mister Portus,' she said in her regularly stern voice, but her eyes conveyed a certain gleam that Harry found was generally reserved for her more favored Gryffindor's.

Just as quickly as she had looked shocked, the tight-lipped woman had and icy glare fall upon her features. 'That will be ten points from Gryffindor for Mister Potter's obscenities, and another five for Mister Black's inappropriate disruptions. Now if you would all please return to your work.' As soon as this was said, the room sobered up and Harry found his father and Godfather scowling at the professor from behind their desks.

The rest of the class went well, and Harry soon found himself heading to his last class of the day, History of Magic. He groaned inwardly and outwardly at the thought of suffering another term of Binns' droning simply because he had fiddled with time. He knew it was Dumbledore's twisted way of punishing him.

He walked along the corridors with Lily until they were met by three other girls, two of whom he had met, and one of them completely new. He assumed that she was the Hufflepuff girl he had been told about.

'Harry, this is our other good friend Helena Snarkett,' Gwendolyn offered as soon as they were all caught up. Harry smiled and shook her hand politely before they continued on their way, all of the girls gossiping as they did. The curly black-haired girl was definitely the other bridesmaid at his parents wedding Harry noticed as she smiled up at her friends.

'Sorry I'm late you guys. I had to send an owl to Edgar so that he'll get it on time,' Helena was telling them

'So are you going to meet up with Edgar on the Hogsmeade weekend then? He did ask you didn't he?' Sophie asked her friend eagerly, unable to hold back a giggle.

'Of course he did,' she answered with a swat at the taller girl's arm. He said he would meet me in the three broomsticks at noon.'

'We'd better not hear of any students snogging in the three broomsticks,' Gwendolyn said coyly with a raised eyebrow and all of the girls turned toward Harry when he choked on what could only have been air. He turned pink as they all looked up at him.

'Sorry Harry,' Lily said apologetically from behind a half smirk. 'Once the girld get talking, there's really nothing that stops them. Especially Gwen!'

'That's quite alright,' Harry tried to say smoothly, but found himself sqeaking instead, and getting another bout of laughter from the girls.

'It's no worry Harry,' Lily said, more seriously this time. 'They're just joking of course. Edgar's far too proper to even consider something as publicly scandalous as that.'

'He's just graduated last year. In Auror training now,' Helena said to him with what could only be pride. 'I do hope to work with him shortly. Two more years and I could very well be in the law enforcement department, alongside his sister actually. Very nice woman. She just started there three years ago, and already she's been moved up to a charge position. Edgar always says that she'll run the department one day.'

'Amelia?' Gwendolyn said with a snort. 'It would be quite ironic if the girl who used to hold slumber parties for us ran the department of Magical law Enforcement.' They all laughed.

Harry's eyes widened at hearing this. 'Amelia Bones?' he said before thinking, and then turned to the girls who had all stopped walking.

'Yeah, that's her,' Helena said with interest, 'How do you know her?'

Harry's mind raced for something to cover his ridiculous blunder. 'Oh, my mum mentioned her a few times. She said she was a delightful woman at the Ministry.'

The girls all seemed to accept this and they started walking to class again. Once they had all seated themselves in the classroom, Harry found himself staring at one of his mother's best friends. He felt saddened and slightly sick to be looking at one of his schoolmates mothers who he knew would die in the next three years with her husband and the rest of their family.

Helena Snarkett would marry Edgar Bones, and would in fact join the department of Magical Law Enforcement to work under her sister-in-law Amelia Bones. Sadly, just after their daughter Susan is born, both Edgar and Helena would be murdered along with the rest of their family. As far as Harry knew, Amelia and Susan were the only remaining Bones in his time.

Trying not to think about death and all the terrible things that would befall most of those in the room around him, Harry elected to stare at the blackboard at the front of the room, through which he knew professor Binns always drifted through. He had wafted through that same board every lesson precisely as the bell rang for the past five years, causing Harry to nearly fall out of his seat when the classroom door was opened and professor Binns walked into the room with a briefcase in his hands.

Harry stared through saucer sized eyes as the old man in front of him placed his briefcase on his desk and sat down in his seat, breathing heavily. Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. Professor Binns walking was one thing, but breathing was another. The old man ran a hand through his wispy white hair, before pulling out his wand and quickly scribbling some notes on the board. His cheeks were extremely pink and his eyes a startling blue as he stared out over his class.

Just when Harry thought things may have been looking up, professor Binns began his lecture in the exact same hollow voice that could have easily been bottled and sold as a sleep aid. Harry had always attributed this monotonous voice to the professor's being a ghost, but now he had proof that the man was as dreadfully boring when he had been alive.


	17. Bloodlines

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A/N Hello to everyone! I'm so glad you have all continued to read my story and leave such fantastic reviews. I love reading each and every one over and over again : D I hope I have been answering your reviews to your satisfaction, and if I'm not please let me know. I've been fortunate enough to get to know some of youa little better and am pleased to call you my friends. If anyone is interested in e-mailing me or chatting sometime feel free to contact me at or the same for MSN. Take care and please enjoy, Kyle : D**

**Nightwing 509: **as usual, your delightful review was the first to appear on my screen : D Thanks for stickin around and I hope you like this one : D Kyle

**HandsOff**: Hey Hannah! I'm glad you liked the Binns alive thing. I know I sure loved it. I didn't plan it until it happened though, lol. I was writing sad stuff about the Bones' and then I thought, 'hey, you know what would be funny!'. Cool, so thanks for the reviews and I hope to hear from you again. Take it easy, Kyle : D

**CaptainJ 737:** Hey! I'm happy you liked the name. I loved using both of them every time I typed it and reread it to myself. A few times I was like, wait a minute, who's Portus? Lol And then of course I would go to bed, lol. Catch ya later, Kyle : D

**Babebunny**: Thanks! You're awesome too : D I figured come on, death shouldn't be enough o make a person so excruciatingly boring. He must have been like that before, lol. Thanks again, Kyle : D

**HWayre**: You mean you're going to school in stead of reading my story! LOL Sounds great. I hope you enjoy the rest and let me know when you do finish. Take care, Kyle : D

**Volleypickle16**: Thank you very much. I like it too! I think it may be my favorite actually : D Kyle

**BabiesAreYummy**: ;) Right … cause who eats babies… I know I don't shifty eyed lol. Good to hear you liked the Time Turner thing. I thought, heck, everyone else always has them use it to get back, or it simply broke and they fix it or something along those lines. Figured I'd change it up a bit, lol. Keep on eating .. I mean reading, lol Kyle : D

**Susan Potter**: ME TOO! Tell me why, or why not, lol. I'm just bugging you. Thanks for continuing to review and I hope this satisfies your reading needs. Kyle : D

**Christa Potter**: HEY! How's it goin? I'm glad to hear that there's another mushy reader out there like me. You should have seen me writing it. Gosh it was terrible. I couldn't see the screen for my tears. I'm so sad its funny, lol. You just might get your wish eventually. I'm still not sure. Take it easy and I'll talk to ya later, Kyle : D

**SlytherinFan15**: Hey! Good to see you liked the names. They are among my favorites thus far : D As for Lily/Harry … not gonna happen. While sick, it is quite plausible for Lily to crush on him as he is the practically perfect version of James. Just some incestual food for thought. (sorry, I'll be good)

I considered the remake of the Potion as well, but since it's the most complicated potion known to wizards, and is illegal, and Harry doesn't even know what he did wrong last time and doesn't have Ginny to recreate it, he won't. Plus it took forever, and I'm all about surprises, lol. Loved your last chapter by the way! Catch ya later, Kyle : D

**PoemziethePhoenix**: Well hello! I certainly do have a good reason for sending Marc. I love him! That's not the reason, lol. You might just find out by the end ; ) I'm glad you like the responses, because they're certainly fun to write, and sometimes tricky when I can't give too much away. Feel free to email me sometime if ya want to chat. Kyle : D

**Schnuff**: Hello, and welcome. Nice to see new reviews, and I hope they continue : D I'm not sure that I gave Fleur's age, I'll have to go back and check. I've been working under the assumption that she was newly seventeen during the tournament and that she is nineteen now. That way she had graduated and prepared to teach. Thanks for pointing it out though. Take care, Kyle : D

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Chapter 17: Bloodlines

That evening, Harry and Marc sat in the Gryffindor common room, both sitting in their regular seats around the fire grate and discussing all that they had seen that day. Marc was doing far better already, almost having forgotten that Harry had lost them in time, and he actually spoke enthusiastically about his lessons. He found that the lessons in the past were a great deal simpler than the ones being taught in their time, and he was doing far better than most of the other students.

After having been told about professor Binns' status, it took Marc several moments of stunned silence before both boys started laughing at the idea.

'I wish I could have seen your face. It must have been priceless! I can't wait for History now,' Marc said between snorts of laughter, attracting several odd glances from the students around them.

'I'm afraid the darn lessons are still just as boring. At least when he's a ghost we can laugh every time he drifts through someone.' They started to laugh again.

'What's so funny over here?' a familiar voice called from the table under the window.

Harry turned to see Sirius and James walking over toward them, curious looks on their faces. He wasn't sure what to do. He had already met his father, and as Dumbledore pointed out, it certainly left a lot to be desired. He had managed to avoid him through the whole day now, but it appeared he was running out of escape plans. Marc looked nervous and Harry decided that he would just have to find a way to get rid of them smoothly.

'Oh nothing really. Just a funny moment in class is all,' he said to his father and Godfather with a small smile before turning back to Marc.

'Go on then, what was so funny?' Sirius asked again, shaking his long hair out of his face and clearly not leaving until they heard something amusing.

'He was just telling me about how between the both of you, Gryffindor lost fifteen points today,' Marc said with a smile and mock innocence. 'Wish I could've been there to see it,' he added with a grin. Harry rolled his eyes with an inward groan.

Sirius scowled at him and James grabbed his robes to pull him back to the table, giving both boys a death glare.

'Great job Marc,' Harry said sarcastically, 'Now we're definitely on their bad side.'

'You said you needed a way to avoid them,' Marc said plainly. 'Chances are they'll leave you alone now.'

'No, I have to share a dormitory with them, so chances are I'll wake up with boils from head to toe. Thanks a lot.'

Marc grimaced at the thought, trying his best to smile innocently for forgiveness, only to have Harry swat him across the head and start laughing again.

The rest of the evening went by quickly until Harry and Marc found themselves alone in the common room, the fire quickly dissipating in the grate. Harry checked his watch one last time before standing and saying goodnight to his fellow time prisoner.

'They've been up there for nearly an hour,' he said to Marc. 'That's plenty of time to fall asleep. Wish me luck and I'll see you in the morning...maybe.'

Both boys went up the stairs to their respective dormitories, Marc entering his on the platform below Harry's and closing the door after a last goodnight. Harry slowly opened the door to his own room and crept in quietly, noticing that all of the lights were off and that his roommates had indeed called it a night. He crept over to the four-poster with his trunk in front of it and pulled down the covers. He quickly changed into his pajamas and started to get into bed.

Harry lay there in the dark for a few minutes, thinking of all that had happened in the last forty eight hours and found that falling asleep was not going to be a possibility. He sat up again and looked around the dormitory at each of the Marauders' closed hangings, all four harbouring their own sleeping legend.

Finally he got up and walked quietly over to the window ledge to sit down on the cushioned seat and look out onto the grounds. He often did this in the past when he needed to think. As the silver splashed grounds of Hogwarts spread out before him, Harry's mind turned to the first time he had spent the night in the castle. He had spent much of that night sitting in this very seat and looking out over the grounds, thanking the stars for taking him away from the Dursley's and hoping with all his heart that he was not dreaming.

Harry decided that tomorrow he would have to apologize to Sirius and James and hope that they accepted his apology. He had always dreamed that he would meet his parents one day, and now that he had, it had taken him less than a day to make his father hate him.

He watched the dark treetops sway, for whatever reasons in the forbidden forest, under the shining rays of the full moon and started to think about all the things he had left behind in his own time. What would Ron do when he found out Harry was missing? He knew for certain that even though Hermione was not talking to him, she would be worried sick as well. Dumbledore would probably assume the worst and think that he had been taken by Death Eaters or something equally terrible, and sooner or later it would be broadcast in the Daily Prophet. Harry could picture the Headlines already and knew that Rita Skeeter would have the time of her life with it: Tragedy Befalls the Boy-Who-Lived.

The sad and worried face of Fleur Delacour was the next one to pop into his mind, and Harry felt a pang of guilt at playing with his Time Turner instead of going to visit her like he had promised. For the first time in his life, things had been going as well as they could and he had gone and messed with it. Without thinking, he angrily slammed a fist down on the window sill making the large panes of glass rattle threateningly and clatter throughout the room He turned around quickly, sure that the loud noise would have woken his roommates but not a single sound or stirring of the hangings could be heard or seen.

Harry waited another several moments before realisation dawned and he crept towards the nearest bed. He now understood why his four roommates had gone to bed so early and why they were keeping so quiet. They were not there. He pulled back the thick red hangings from around Remus' four-poster and was proven correct at finding the werewolf's bed perfectly made. His eyes widened again at this thought and he rushed back toward the window to check the moon. It was almost completely full, meaning that Harry knew exactly where the Marauders were and where they would be for the next two nights as well.

Deciding that this at least guaranteed him two more nights of safety from their pranks, Harry lay back down in his bed and tried his best to clear his mind. He knew he would be unable to completely rid it of thought, but perhaps he would get a decent night's sleep to prepare him for whatever the Marauders had in store for tomorrow.

The night air was cool and Harry found himself walking along the grounds of Hogwarts, slowly rounding the lake and watching the calm surface of the water, the moonlight gently reflecting and glowing in the cover's mist. Everything was quiet and the sky was perfectly clear, the stars shining brilliantly as to outdo the moon. For once in his life, Harry felt at peace as he strolled calmly in what he knew was the safest place on Earth.

Unfortunately the calm was quickly broken by a flashing light in the distance, easily getting Harry's attention as it shone up into the velvety blue sky. He started to make his way curiously toward the edge of the forest, unsure of what he might find, but not feeling even an inkling of apprehension.

Step by step the glow just beyond the forest's edge became brighter and brighter, only causing Harry's curiosity to rise in strength and his pace to quicken. The leaves on the ground stayed right where they were, no wind of any kind to rustle them as he walked. When he finally reached the forest's outer edge, he quickly parted the thick branches before him and stepped into what he saw as a blinding green light.

Harry shielded his eyes with a hand and when the light subsided he finally pulled it away and his eyes were cast upon a terrifying scene played out in the farthest thing from a forest. On all sides of him he saw walls of gleaming black marble, stretching straight up to the ceiling twenty five feet above. The only sources of light coming from flickering green torches tightly bolted to the walls.

In the center of the magnificent dark room stood a hooded figure and surrounding it were at least eighty other robe clad forms. It took Harry but a moment to recognize the central figure as Tom Riddle, his grey flecked raven hair and stony eyes just as cold as the day he watched him kill his parents.

It was plainly obvious to Harry that he could not be seen as he stepped further into the room, edging closer to Riddle in hopes of hearing what he said. The dark wizard stood in the middle of the room a half smirk on his face, and it was not until Harry grew closer that he found the source of the earlier green glow. On the ground in front of Riddle lay a body, still masked in its slitted hood, and above was Riddle's wand still pointed at the fallen Death Eater. The others seemed frightened as Harry saw many of their shoulders shaking, but none of them dared to take a step back.

'Let this be a warning to all those who do not wish to follow orders. If you do not feel I am correct in doing what I do, please, I invite you to step forward,' his voice called out, low and extremely intimidating. Any of his followers who were not shaking before, now began to tremble under their masters harsh words.

'You are fortunate that I gave even one warning, for from this day forward there will be no mercy. If anyone fails me, they will feel the full power of Lord Voldemort's displeasure.' He said this in a loud shout, all signs of a smirk now gone, to be replaced by a thin lipped jaw and a fiery look in his eyes.

Harry watched as Voldemort dismissed the majority of his followers, much to their relief, but a dozen or so Death Eaters remained in a semicircle around their Lord.

'I have specific jobs for each of you, and as I have demonstrated, there will be no place for failure. He nodded to the first three robed figures and they stepped forward. 'You will take care of several thorns in my side, each of them members of this wretched Order. The old man thinks he can match my power, but he is sadly mistaken and I shall be the one to show him. The senior Prewetts are to be disposed of tonight. Do leave something for their children to find,' he added with a reinstated smirk. The three figures bowed low before disapparating.

The next four stepped forward and waited for their instructions.

'The Fenwick's have been more troublesome than is warranted. Do dispose of them all.' He paused for a moment before speaking again. 'Actually, do leave the eldest son alive. Cripple him if you feel the need, but ensure that he watches the others die.'

Harry began to shake with rage, just as with his other encounters with the Dark Lord. He knew these people, or at least had seen their photographs. He knew that Benjy Fenwick would be murdered in three years, but he now also knew that he would be forced to watch his entire family be murdered tonight.

The next two groups were given orders until only two figures remained in front of Riddle.

'Remove your masks,' he commanded calmly, watching as both hoods were pulled down and two familiar faces looked on to their master's. The first man pulled back his jet black hair allowing his handsome features that mirrored his younger brother's to be bathed in flickering torchlight. The other had his long silvery hair pulled back already, allowing his pointed face to look up at his master.

'Black, you will do something very important for me. You are new, but have already proven to be invaluable. Do not take that as a safe card however. You will be discarded as easily as the next failure if need be.

Harry watched as the man's light blue eyes contracted and a visible wince splayed across his features for a mere heartbeat. Voldemort noticed this and sneered.

'You will handle our Miss Meadows. She is in the Department of Mysteries and has been more than slightly aggravating. Do not kill her, as we will need her later on. Do ensure that she is unable to work for some time,' he said in an oddly amused voice, no signs of amusement conveyed by his features. 'And Black, do not fail me. I understand that you have just recently married, and I would hate for anything to happen to your wife.'

Harry saw a fiery glare in Regulus' eyes quickly replace his fear, but he still bowed low before his master and disapparated. Voldemort now turned to his single remaining follower, dark brown eyes meeting steely grey.

'Now Lucius, I also have a very special task for you. It may take some time, but there are several students at the old fool's school that I think will prove to be excellent additions to my ranks. Having only graduated what, three years ago, I am sure you would be perfect to convince them of our cause.'

'Yes my Lord. It should prove little difficulty,' he said with such confidence that Harry smirked, knowing what would follow.

'Do not forget your place young Mister Malfoy. There is no place for arrogance in my ranks.' His wand was quickly over the blond and with a quick shout of 'Crucio' Lucius was writhing on the ground in immeasurable pain. Several moments passed before the curse was lifted and Lucius was able to kneel upright, gasping terribly and clutching his chest.

'You will have me my new followers by the years end, or you will suffer far worse than that. Knott and Crabbe will come easily, but it is young Misters Snape and Pettigrew who should prove a challenge. Do not fail me Lucius,' he said again, before the blond man nodded and disapparated, leaving Harry standing alone in front of the monster that would soon mark him as his equal.

Voldemort turned to leave and started toward a door at the far end of the large black chamber. Harry watched him leave and felt such anger boil up in him as he had never felt before. He knew he could not be seen or felt, but wished with all his hatred that he could cast the Avada Kedavra on the creature in front of him. He knew nothing would happen so instead, he screamed.

Harry Potter let out one of the most throat tearing shouts of pain he had ever let out before, everything around him paling next to the feeling of all his anger leaving him in one long release of breath. The scar on his forehead burned more fiercely than he had ever felt it before, feeling as though someone was running a sharp dagger back and forth across it.

He opened his eyes in time to find that Voldemort had now stopped dead in his tracks and was reaching up to his head with his hands. Not a moment passed after Harry's shout ended, and Riddle's began. A torrential yell of hatred emerged from the strong jawed man as he fell to his knees in what looked like pain and confusion. The last thing Harry saw was Tom Riddle fall to the ground limp, before his eyes were blocked by something red and he too fell over.

Harry opened his eyes the next morning to blinding white walls and the sterile smell of potions and bandages. He reached over to his bedside for his glasses and quickly placed them on his face, instantly clearing his vision and allowing him to look around the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey was bustling around in the corner of the wing, pouring a potion down some unfortunate student's throat, while he simply sat their and allowed it. Harry chuckled at this, and recalled how quickly he had given up on fighting the insistent healer whenever she forced a method of treatment on him. He closed his eyes and turned onto his side with hopes of getting a little more sleep before going to class, but when he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to see three people slung over chairs at his bedside.

Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew were all seated uncomfortably in chairs next to him, Sirius fast asleep with his feet up on the next bed. James snored softly while the shortest of the three twitched slightly as he rested.

Harry narrowed his eyes and he glared at Wormtail, wishing he could wring the filthy traitor's neck without anyone noticing. That's when he remembered his nightmare and how Riddle had said that Pettigrew was not yet a Death Eater. Neither was Snape. He continued to glare at the rat Animagus until James started to stir and his eyes flitted open.

He saw that Harry was awake and nudged his friends awake as well.

'How you feeling mate?' he asked in what sounded like genuine concern, confusing Harry after the way he had been glaring at him for the past two days.

'I'm alright, I guess. Why wouldn't I be? And how did I get to the hospital wing,' he asked in a hoarse voice, just realizing that he had not come here on his own.

'Well, first of all, we found you on the dormitory floor this morning with your face all caked in blood. We tried to wake you, but you just wouldn't have it,' Sirius answered, a tone of worry in his voice too.

'How's your head doing?' Peter ventured to ask in a high voice, winning a brief glare from Harry before he hid it and tried to smile.

'I've got a bit of a headache, but other than that I should be fine,' Harry said lifting a hand to his head and pulling it back quickly as he felt the large bandage on his forehead.

'You had a pretty nasty cut on you forehead mate,' James said with a slight wince. 'At first there was too much blood for us to tell where it was coming from, but once Pomfrey got it all cleaned up there was the strangest scar underneath. We're still not sure where the blood came from though,' he said with a confused look on his face.

'What happened to you last night?' Sirius asked earnestly. 'What did you land on to give you such a wonky mark on your forehead? I mean it looks like a lightning bolt.' The other two nodded in agreement.

Harry searched his brain for an excuse for his roommates and found that nothing plausible was coming to mind. Luckily he was saved by a familiar and calm voice from the other end of the room.

'I believe I asked that Mister Portus not be badgered with questions, gentlemen.' The three visitors narrowed their eyes as the Headmaster made his way over to Harry's bedside and conjured a comfortable chair to sit in. 'I am sure that Mister Portus is grateful for your prompt actions this morning, but I must ask that you all get back to your common room so that I may have a word with him. I promise that you may question him all you like when he gets back,' he added with a small smile and a wink at Harry.

The Marauders did not look pleased by this, but all knew that there was little point in arguing with Dumbledore. They stood to leave and Harry watched as they collected Remus from the farthest bed in the corner. Apparently he had been the one to receive potion from Madam Pomfrey. Harry assumed that it was a Pepper Up Potion to help him gain some liveliness after last night's transformation.

Harry turned his eyes back to meet the Headmaster's and groaned quietly when he realized he would have to offer some sort of explanation for his presence in the hospital wing. Dumbledore chuckled slightly at this, before fixing his gaze back on his student and starting to speak.

'I'm afraid I would like some sort of explanation Mister Potter, even if it is vague and partly fabricated.' His eyes twinkled brightly in amusement as he said this. Harry smiled oddly and narrowed his eyes at the Headmaster slightly.

'Have I said something amusing Mister Potter?' Dumbledore enquired, the smile never leaving his face.

'No professor,' Harry started and laughed quietly. 'Actually yes, you have. You keep calling me Mister Potter, and I'm simply not used to it is all,' he explained with a smile.

'Have I come up with some ingenious nickname for you then, or have you inherited the title of Marauder as well?' the old man suggested with the tiniest of smirks playing on his face.

'Actually no, you simply call me Harry.'

Dumbledore's face sobered and he stared at the boy in front of him with great interest. 'I figured I must have kept close tabs on you, being your father's son, mind you not close enough if I allowed you to escape me with a Time Turner. But it is quite seldom that I am on a first name basis with my students. That is until they have graduated of course,' he added thoughtfully.

'Yes, well it really is one sided professor. I can't say that I've ever called you Albus, and it will be quite the frosty day in the Dark Lord's home before I do,' Harry said, getting a hearty laugh from the Headmaster.

'As fun as this catching up has been, I must ask that you give me some sort of explanation, without giving away details of the future, Harry.' Harry let out a deep sigh before deciding what to say.

'I'm afraid that it is near impossible to leave the future out of my explanation, although I will leave out any monumental details.' Dumbledore nodded. 'Well, as I'm certain you've gathered, Voldemort is indeed still around in eighteen years time.' Harry watched the Headmaster's features darken before continuing. 'I shan't give you anything vital, but suffice it to say that the cause of the Order of the Phoenix is far from lost. Do not give up hope.'

Upon hearing the name of his Order, Dumbledore's eyes widened in slight surprise, something Harry had never succeeded in seeing.

'I can't tell you when or how, but I can tell you that Voldemort's reign of terror will not span the next eighteen years. The light is successful in his downfall and there is quite a long period of peace before he rises again.' Dumbledore seemed much more at ease with this news and smiled slightly as Harry continued.

'As I'm certain you know, the wizarding world is counting on you to bring his downfall, but unfortunately it is not you, but I who manages that.' The second time surprise found its way onto the old man's face came in the form of an arched eyebrow. 'The result of our battle left me with this,' Harry said, reaching up and pulling off his bandage to expose his scar. 'It is you who taught me about my connection to the Dark Lord through this scar, and now I fear I've done something terrible. In my time I dream of what he does, and can feel his emotions. In this time, he has not yet scarred me, but I dreamed of him last night and I saw what he planned before I passed out.'

Dumbledore gave him a grave look and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

'I know it's early but if you send an owl to the Minister to dispatch Aurors, I'm certain you will find that the senior Prewetts, and all the Fenwicks, save for Benjy, are dead.' He could feel warm tears falling down his cheeks as he spoke, and as he watched the Headmaster's face, he noticed something in his eyes that he very rarely saw there. Anger. 'You'll want to tell Fudge to find Dorcas Meadows quickly as well; although she's not dead, she will need medical assistance.'

Harry closed his eyes tightly and tried to stop his tears so that he could go on, and Dumbledore's grip tightened slightly in reassurance.

'I'm afraid there are other details sir, much more grave, but far too pivotal for me to tell,' he finished with a glance down at the ground.

'Well Harry, it would appear as though you have every right to be upset,' Dumbledore said calmly, although Harry knew he must have been aching in pain for his colleagues. 'I for one would not want to share my dreams with Tom, nor do I feel that I would be strong enough to endure it as long as you have. I will send an owl to Millicent as soon as we are done talking Harry.'

Harry gave him a strange look, and received a small smile in return.

'The Minister for Magic, Harry, is presently Millicent Bagnold, and I am delighted yet unsurprised, to hear that Undersecretary Fudge will one day take her place. Good man, Cornelius.' Harry tried to suppress a groan at the thought of Fudge being a good Minister for Magic, and just barely succeeded.

'Do try to rest Harry, and Madam Pomfrey should have you back in your lessons after lunch,' Dumbledore told him before standing to leave.

'Wait professor. I know this may be slightly troublesome, but I have to ask you anyway. And believe me when I say it hurts me more than anyone, but will hurt more if I don't ask. I need to study Occlumency.' Dumbledore's head tilted to one side in thought.

'Very well, I can teach you, but only on Tuesday nights I'm afraid.' Harry laughed when he realised that Dumbledore's schedule did not change over the next eighteen years.

'Actually professor, is there anyone else who could teach me?' Harry asked and looked horrified by the look of mock offense on Dumbledore's face.

'Let me assure you Harry, that I am a fairly gifted Occlumens,' he said, his voice soaked with amusement.

'I know you are professor,' Harry told him apologetically, 'but when Voldemort takes over my mind, the last thing I want is for you to be in it.' Dumbledore's amusement vanished and a look of understanding took its place.

'I see. I will find you a suitable professor by Tuesday night, and until then Harry, feel better and practice clearing your mind.'

The next days went by smoothly, Harry and Marc continuing to attend their classes and making friends with many of the other students. Most of the houses were quite interested in meeting the new students, however, Harry found that the house rivalries were just as strong in this time as in their own. None was worse of course, than Gryffindor and Slytherin.

This was promptly made clear to him by his father and the other Marauders as they chose to play their legendary pranks on selected members of the loathed serpent house. Harry decided that the Marauders could certainly have given the Weasley twins a run for their money. That is until they opened their joke shop. Even James and Sirius would have trouble competing with Skiving Snackboxes and Portable Swamps.

Since the night he had returned from the hospital wing, Harry's sixth year roommates had taken a keen interest in him and had seemingly forgotten why they had disliked him. Harry was certain not to ask why, and decided to join the close-knit group of friends, and even got Marc to join them lurking through the castle when he could.

Tonight the six Gryffindors were sneaking down the third floor corridor, all in the open as James had yet to reveal his invisibility cloak to the newcomers. Harry decided to say nothing and that when his father trusted him enough to do so, he would show that he had one too. Marc liked this tactic, and grinned from ear to ear at the thought of their faces when they found out.

They had just passed McGonagall's office when they slowed to decide where they should go next. Sirius suggested that they go to the kitchens and that he had learned an amazing new charm to cover the Slytherins in pink itching boils, if they could just get a hold of their morning breakfast. James immediately agreed with the idea, and Harry was surprised when Marc suggested that they place the charm on the Slytherin juice containers, that way they could be certain to only affect them. He was nearly knocked over as James and Sirius both threw their arms over his shoulder conspiratorially to discuss it further.

Not five minutes later, the six boys were creeping down to the end of the hall to where Harry figured they would take the secret passage across from the Charms classroom. Unfortunately, the Marauders all stopped and watched him with interest as he pulled out his wand and tapped the third brick up form the floor, and four over from the doorway to allow the passage to open. Harry turned to face them with a small smile.

'Are we going to the kitchens or not?' James and Sirius exchanged bemused looks, while Remus studied him carefully.

'How do you know about this passage?' Sirius asked him suspiciously as he stepped in behind Harry.

Harry mentally kicked himself. He was supposed to be feigning idiocy as far as his knowledge of the castle went, and now he'd gone and used one of the more discreet passages in the whole school.

'Oh this?' Harry stalled for a moment. 'It was nothing. Fabian showed me yesterday. Said it was the quickest way to get to the kitchens if I was hungry.'

'Really? I didn't know Prewett knew about any of the passages,' Sirius said with interest but then kept on his way as the others followed them. 'Mind you, those Prewetts do a lot that surprise us, so who am I to say anything.' James laughed and continued on his way as well.

It didn't take them long at all before the pear in the picture of fruit guarding the kitchens was tickled, and the boys had entered quietly to manage their mischief. Marc's idea was quite bright and soon all of the Slytherin juice apparel was lined by the invisible charm. They left quickly once they had finished, for fear of being seen by a house elf. Not that they would ever tell a professor, but there was the chance that they might become suspicious and try to clean all of the dishes once more.

Harry didn't climb back into his bed again until after two o'clock in the morning. Along with Marc and the Marauders, he had managed to set up a record amount of pranks around the silent castle, to catch the first unfortunate student or professor who stumbled upon them. Most of the nastier hexes were conveniently placed in the dungeons however, and then of course outside professor Sharpbane's office door.

Harry had felt nervous about the latter, but figured she deserved it, and he did really want to see her come into the Great Hall for breakfast with her ears painted scarlet and gold. Harry finally drifted off to sleep with thoughts of boil covered Slytherins and a furious Potions Mistress, thoughts of his future life and friends long forgotten for the time being.

The next morning turned out to be slightly different than he had expected, although the humour was certainly still there. Not twenty minutes into breakfast, professor Sharpbane had walked in to sit at the head table with an extremely smug and satisfied look on her face. She sent a brief smirk in the Marauders' direction before looking back to her breakfast.

None of the boys were certain as to what had happened to not make the hex work and started to discuss it quietly at their places. Unfortunately, their conversation was interrupted when professor McGonagall stormed through the doors and straight to the Gryffindor table, her ears glowing a bright gold and crimson. Harry was not sure whether to laugh or cry, but fought to keep silent as he realised the rest of the hall was doing the same.

'This is absolutely inexcusable!' she shouted at the group of boys, her face pale with fury. 'Potter and Black, detention for a week.'

'But professor!' James started to protest, giving her an earnest look and trying to look honest.

'Save it Potter. Feel lucky that it is only a week. If this does not wear off in the next hour, I guarantee the detentions will increase!'

With that said she stormed up to the head table and started to eat her breakfast angrily, trying to ignore the soft chuckles coming from the Headmaster sitting next to her. Lucky for Dumbledore, his soft laughter was smothered by an uproar of filthy language filling the Hall from the Slytherin table. It appeared that each of the students had mysteriously been covered in itching pink boils from head to toe, and were now scratching at them furiously while trying to figure out what had happened.

Harry could not help it, and burst out laughing. Much to his relief, the rest of the student body had done the same, making his voice one of many that now filled the enormous hall. Professor Sharpbane looked furious as she got to her feet and rushed to the aid of her students, most of them ignoring her as they continued to scratch incessantly. Dumbledore now smiled broadly and winked at the Gryffindor table, and though she tried to hide it with a napkin, Harry could tell that even McGonagall was smirking as well.

That morning's classes had been both educational and amusing, as both Potions and Charms were interrupted repeatedly by Slytherin students trickling in from the Hospital wing. Most of them looked furious, but a good portion of them could do nothing about it due to the calming draft given to them by Madam Pomfrey while she reversed the hex.

The six boys responsible for the disruptions laughed all throughout lunch while they watched the Slytherins pointedly avoid the food and drink in front of them. They looked extremely hungry, but far too wary to risk being covered in boils again. Snape in particular, stood out from the others as he glared at James and Sirius from where he sat at the end of the table, faint pink marks still visible on his sallow skin. Harry laughed at seeing the boy so angry, but at the same time felt slightly guilty for causing him so much pain when he knew that he would turn out to be one of the members of the Order. He settled for just walking to Defense class with the Marauders, and not saying anything about the Slytherins at all.

This would be his second Defense class since he had arrived in this time, and both he and Marc had decided that the professor was one of the best they had had. Harry knew he did not hold a candle to Lupin, but he figured that no one ever would. Professor Prynell looked very much like the werewolf's older version, sandy blond hair flecked with grey and warm honey eyes. He did not look near as tired as Remus did, but he gave off the same calm and relaxed sense and always offered interesting topics of study in his class. The students all seemed to love it and rarely complained at all. It was all of the Marauders' favorite class, and Harry had always preferred this course above all others.

Today they entered the room to find the professor sitting behind his desk with several texts open as he perused them calmly, waiting for his class to arrive. He sat behind his desk with his chin resting on his hand, continuing to read until the last student entered and took her seat. Then he stood and cleared his throat before starting.

'Very well, today we will be discussing two separate concepts. As usual one will be theory and the other practical. We will of course begin with theory and I hope you all take note, as this is sure to be on your N.E.W.T's next year.' There was a collective groan and the professor smiled at them all.

'Now, we will start by discussing the history of sorcery and the differences in the magics used by sorcerers and wizards. Then we can discuss the founders of our good school.' Harry could hear the scribbling of quills already as he simply wrote down the word sorcery on his parchment.

'Yes Lankaster?' the professor replied to a large Hufflepuff boy at the back of the room.

'I was just curious professor. Do sorcery and wizardry not both use wand magic?'

'Yes they do, although sorcerers are not limited by the wand. Depending on the level of power attained by a given sorcerer or sorceress, they may not need a source of magical essence to channel their powers. Some have managed to do it on their own, using simply their own magic from within and casting wandless spells.' He looked around the room again before continuing.

'Now, we all know that every witch and wizard has a certain magic potential within them, separating us from the Muggle, and that it is quite uncommon for them to perform even the slightest of spells without a wand. This magic is proven by anyone who has ever caused something to happen by accident. This occurs when a witch or wizard's emotions are uncontrolled and certain mishaps can occur. The Ministry has developed a department for this very reason. The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad was developed to quickly locate anyone who has had an episode and to nullify the results, whether by repairing objects or simply altering Muggles' memories.'

'Does this happen to grown wizards professor?' a Hufflepuff girl asked from beside Harry.

'Not often, but it is possible. Most adults have learned to control their emotions to a certain degree, but it had been known to happen from time to time. The most common cases are found within Muggleborns before they learn they're magical. Not knowing that they have the potential to do magic, severely limits their control over it, often resulting in accidents.'

Harry groaned at the thought of blowing his aunt up, even after finding out he was a wizard. Why did he have such little control over his emotions?

'Now, while those who master sorcery are few and far between, it was not always this way. Wizardry and sorcery were two options in the world at one time, both equally respectable and everyone seemed to either accept one or the other. As time went on, sorcery was used in Muggle battles, causing the belief that it was in fact a form of Dark Arts. It was soon shunned from our world and those who practiced it did so in secret, slowly developing their powers at their own pace; some becoming far more powerful then simple wizards. For nearly two hundred years, sorcerers were thought to have died off, until a very famous man revealed himself and his abilities, not only to our world but to the Muggles as well. Not only did he perform sorcery, but also had mastered his wizarding techniques to almost a flawless art. His influence on history has been great and he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest wizards of his time. Can anyone tell me who this was?

A handful of students raised their arms and Gwendolyn was called upon.

'That would be Merlin sir,' she said with a smile and waited for the professor to confirm it.

'Five points to Gryffindor Miss Chastings. It was Merlin, and he has continued to influence history even nearly nine centuries after his death. His death date is not even completely ascertained, but we must go with the assumption that a sighting does not always mean something.'

'How is it that Hogwarts founders can be associated with sorcery if they're from just before Merlin's time? You said that there were no sorcerers before Merlin for quite some time,' a girl asked from behind Harry, and he turned to see Lily looking up at the professor expectantly.

'Very observant Miss Evans, however not observant enough,' he told her with a cocked eyebrow. 'I said that sorcery was believed to be extinguished, but that was not the case as Merlin proves. Sorcery, unlike wizardry, has been found to be hereditary, leaving the obvious conclusion that there have always been sorcerers and that they were hidden.

'And you're saying that the founders were sorcerers?' Lily inquired with genuine interest, and most students looked awed by the idea.

'It's actually not known for certain, although many believe it to be the case. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin have always been known to be the most powerful of the four, and yet it is both Godric and Helga Hufflepuff who are remembered for their interesting show of wandless magic. Nothing spectacular, but impressive nonetheless.'

Harry made sure to write all of this down, as he was sure that Hermione would want to read it as soon as he got back. He figured that Professor Black would not have taught them this.

'Now, with what we know about sorcery, it only makes sense that as families either grew or ended down the line, so would that sort of magic. Over the years, as I just informed you, all but one Sorcerer was killed, leaving Merlin to be the last of his kind. This of course means that the only sorcerers to ever come after him would be his blood relatives. As it was, Merlin did not like the idea of sorcerers being thought of as evil, and therefore placed a curse on his bloodline.' Gasps filled the classroom as students stared disbelievingly at their professor.

'He did not want for traitors to the dark side to tarnish the reputation that he had worked so hard to cleanse, and therefore created the Sorcerer's curse. No one is certain of what this curse was, making it completely irreversible, and chances are that only a sorcerer could reverse it. Once cast, the curse prevented the magic to pass on to anyone until the present sorcerer left the world of the living.'

'Do you mean that Merlin actually prevented his son from being magical?' Lily asked incredulous.

'No, not quite. He simply prevented his being a sorcerer. His son was in fact a very talented wizard, but he did die before his father, never getting the gift he had hoped for. Luckily, he had two sons to hopefully grow up to take their grandfather's curse when he died. This is exactly what happened, and Merlin's basic abilities were transferred to his youngest living heir. Unfortunately a problem arose as his grandsons were twins, causing them both to become sorcerers and effectively doubling their numbers. Merlin had not taken this into account and his curse went on after he died, but unfortunately their was no longer only one sorcerer to prevent the darkness from taking over.'

'One of these brothers is the only current one alive. Can anyone tell me who this is?'

'Nicholas Flamel of course,' James said like it was common knowledge, and Harry shuddered at the thought of the Philosopher's stone.

'One of history's largest dilemmas occurred when sorcerer Flamel procured the philosopher's stone, thus granting both he and his brother with eternal life. To the wizarding world, this meant that they would never see a new sorcerer again as neither of them would be able to pass on their gift, being immortal. Tragedy hit our world when Nicholas' twin turned to the Dark Arts and decided to express his hatred for impure bloodlines. He dropped his name and created one that he hoped would embody fear. Can anyone tell me who this was?'

'Grindelwald, sir.' This time it was Harry who answered, recalling the name of the evil Sorcerer who had been defeated by none other than Dumbledore.

'Yes, Mister Portus, Grindelwald. Now, to the wizarding world it seemed obvious that with his new affinity for the Dark Arts, Grindelwald would no longer be in contact with his brother and thus be cut off from the philosopher's stone and his immortality. Unfortunately, what no one knew was that the dark Sorcerer was extremely charming and that his brother did have a soft spot for his twin. Flamel foolishly gave his brother more than enough elixir of life to last him another century. When he was finally defeated by our own Headmaster, some thirty years ago, he had been the only one in his line, not having produced an heir because he knew he would live forever. Ultimately, his arrogance left our world once more with but one Sorcerer. And it appears that Nicholas will not be dying anytime soon, but that if one day he does, he has nearly three centuries worth of heirs to ensure the curse continues.'

Having finished the brief history on Sorcerers, professor Prynell allowed his students several moments to finish their notes and ask any questions before moving on.

'Now we will discuss something more relevant to our everyday lives. As we as wizards and witches must in fact channel our magic through wands, it is very important that we know which ones suit us and which ones do not. It is widely known that the essence from one magical creature may produce phenomenal results from one person, and ridiculous ones from another. I myself use a wand cored with a Centaur's tail hair. However, I cannot even cast lumos with a wand powered by Unicorn's tail hair. While the two are seemingly similar, they create very different results. It is quite common that a person is able to use a family member's wand, the closer the relation the more effective it will be.'

The professor proceeded to have the class stand in a wide circle around the room and then had them each hand their wand to the person to their left. They were to cast a simple spell and then pass it to the left once more, effectively allowing everyone to see what cores worked well for them. The different cores were labeled on the blackboard, and Harry was pleased to see that he had the only wand made with a Phoenix feather. Among the others were found one Centaur tail hair, several Unicorn tail hair, three Dragon heartstring, four Nymph eyelashes, one Veela hair, and the strangest of all, a wand containing the blood of a Vampire.

Harry felt uncomfortable allowing the entire class to use his wand, but decided that Marc had probably been right in his theory of undetection and passed it to Sirius, while his was passed to Lily, whose went to Remus. Peter got Remus' and Harry felt sick at the thought of Wormtail using his wand. Then he noticed that James had Wormtail's and felt even more disgusted.

Harry waited for his turn and then lifted a Hufflepuff's wand to cast the Fluvius charm. Nothing happened and Harry knew that Veela hair was not a good choice for him. The same thing went for the Centaur tail hair, Nymph eyelashes and unsurprisingly the Vampire blood. Only two other students were able to cast a half decent lumos and alohomora, owing to their aunt and cousin having the same core in their wands.

Something spectacular occurred when Harry was passed a dark mahogany wand and waited his turn. He decided to attempt the Avis charm he had seen Ollivander perform, but when he shouted 'Avis', instead of four or five sparrows shooting from the end, an entire flock of eagles burst out and circled the room. The entire class watched in surprise as the professor got rid of them and turned on Harry.

'I'm assuming a parent has a wand of the same core?' he asked.

'I'm not sure sir,' Harry said foolishly, never having been told what his parents' wands were made of.

'What do you mean? Surely they've told you,' professor Prynell pushed. Harry looked around the room in embarrassment before answering as quietly as he could.

'Actually, I'm afraid I never knew my parents. They were killed before I was a year old,' he said and looked down to the floor in frustration.

Professor Prynell looked horrified by this revelation and then regret formed as he looked at Harry.

'Sorry about that Portus, but at least we can find out now.' He lifted the wand and asked whose it was.

'Oh that's mine professor,' James called from five spots over and smiled at Harry consolingly, just having inadvertently heard about his own death.

'Well then Mr. Portus, from a spell that powerful, we definitely know that one of your parents' wands was made from dragon heartstring and was also made of mahogany. For you to have such control with this wand, it indicates that both the core and wand substance are the same.'

Harry nodded and forced a smile onto his face before they continued. He knew what would happen when he got his mother's wand in three more turns and tried to think of a simple spell that would not attract too much attention. The next three turns went quickly and soon Harry was holding the familiar white wand he had held in one of his nightmares. He waited his turn and then slowly lifted it and pointed it at his father with a grin on his face. If he had to bring attention to himself, he had might as well have fun too.

'Tarantallegra!' he shouted and watched as James' eyes went wide and his legs started dancing wildly. The whole room started laughing and the professor walked over to them with a grin. Harry ended the spell and handed the wand back over to Lily with a smile. 'I'm assuming that this would be my other parent's wand material,' he said with a raised eyebrow at the professor, and received a small nod from the sandy-haired man as he curiously surveyed him and dismissed the class

News of the Defense class had spread through the castle by dinner time, and Harry found himself frustrated by all the pitying looks he got from the students. The one great thing about this time had been that he was not famous. Now he was receiving the same attention and wanted to hide.

He was bothered most when he looked up from his plate to find the Headmaster watching him somberly, obviously having heard the details of the lesson. Harry suddenly realised what he had done. Now Dumbledore knew that James and Lily would die when he was barely a year old, and the wise old man would most likely assume how they died. This was not good. He decided he would talk with him about it during their meeting in two days regarding Occlumency.

Harry tried his best to ignore the pitying glances and curious glares from the students for most of the evening, but found that by eight o'clock in the common room, he could not stand it any longer. If one more person came over to ask how he was doing, he would throw a fit. Instead of snapping at someone like he knew he would be tempted to, Harry collected his things and headed up to his dormitory to collect his invisibility cloak. He thought about asking Marc to come with him, but found that he was busy playing exploding snaps with Sirius and decided to let him have fun while he could.

Harry was soon making his way down the corridors of Hogwarts on the sixth floor and found himself wishing for his Marauders map. He did not know the teachers routines in this time, and did not fancy running into professor Sharpbane unprepared, or really even prepared for that matter. After wandering through many of the passageways he had memorized from previous years, Harry ended up outside the room used to guard the philosopher's stone.

This region of the castle was not forbidden in this time, yet Harry found that it was extremely dark and that cobwebs and thick layers of dust lined the walls and ceiling as though it had been long abandoned. He started to make his way back out of the wing, when something in the farthest corner caught his eye. A large ornate archway shimmered briefly in a light that Harry could not find. Why the bronze decor had shimmered, he could not tell, but as he grew closer to it, Harry could see all of the house animals emblazoned around the dark door. The thick brown door had been neatly carved and blended well with the wall it was set in, making it nearly invisible to passers by.

Harry figured it would be locked and abandoned but figured that a simple alohomora could not hurt. He quickly muttered the spell and was surprised to hear a soft click as the door was unlocked. He looked around to ensure that he was alone before reaching out and pushing the heavy door open with his shoulder. What he found on the other side was remarkable.

Harry closed the door behind him and turned back around to face the musty room before him. Rows and rows of dusty volumes lined shelves down the edges and outer walls of the enormous room, and Harry decided that it must have once served as the castle's library. There were even more texts in this room than the actual library, something that Madam Pince would probably be quite offended by.

Harry stepped further into the room, glancing around the shelves and looking at the four fair sized tables, each to a quarter of the library. Four long windows lined the farthest wall, but were lined with years of dust and grime, only permitting slivers of light to enter the dark area. Four large fire grates occupied each corner of the room, one behind each table and Harry walked closer to each of them to realise that they all had a house animal on them.

The most spectacular thing of all, was the presence of four life-size portraits hanging on the walls behind each desk, each depicting one of the schools Founders. Harry stared in amazement at the forms of Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff. He could not be certain but he truly thought he had found what must have once been the study area of the founders. The place where they came to grade assignments and possibly relax among each others company.

Harry walked around the room slowly, taking in as much of the details as he could, in case he was never able to find the room again. He read the titles on the spines of several books along the shelves, and came to understand that each section had been the private stores of the founders. Rowena's books focused on Arithmancy and Transfiguration, while Godric's leaned more towards the Defense and Charms topics. Salazar's had a wide variety of both Defense and the Dark Arts and Harry found that many of the books present would not even be found in Madam Pince's restriction section. Oddly enough, Helga's titles concentrated on Potions and Divination, leading Harry to believe that she may have possessed the sight.

After having heard the sorting song this year, Harry was unsurprised to find that Godric and Salazar's desks were located next to one another, as were Helga and Rowena's. As he stepped closer to examine the portrait of his house's founder, Harry's heart almost stopped when he realised what was etched on the wall between Godric's and Salazar's portraits. Hundred's of names were clumped on the wall, all connected by lines of different lengths and widths. He was staring at Gryffindor's family tree.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to think for a moment. Did he want to know? Would it really matter if he saw who Godric's heir was? Chances were that it would not be him. There were hundreds of students at Hogwarts, and it could just as likely be any one of them. He sighed and gave a small laugh. Of course it would be him. How could he think otherwise? He opened his eyes and looked up at the top, to the bold crimson lettering labeled Godric Gryffindor. All of the other names below the founder were in black, save for one he could see at the far left bottom in the corner of his eye. He assumed that that would be the present heir. Underneath Godric's name it indicated he had only two children; one son and one daughter. His son had two daughters and effectively ended the Gryffindor name after only two generations.

He was saddened to see that one of the lines ended abruptly near the bottom at the name Charles McKinnon. He knew that that family had been cleared from existence several weeks ago and tried not to think of it as he looked to the far left of the chart for Gryffindor's daughter. Emmeline Gryffindor had instantly married a pureblood wizard and that family name traveled the longest, for ten generations down to the current heir. Harry blinked a few times in disbelief at the crimson name in front of him. Frank Longbottom. That meant that in his time, Neville would surely be the new heir.

What? How could that be? Harry sighed in relief that it was not him, but also felt bothered that it was Neville. The boy who could barely cast a spell, and who nobody understood why he was placed in Gryffindor house. Well now Harry had the answer.

Trying to clear his mind of this huge development, Harry moved on to Slytherin's family tree and found that he too, had only one son and one daughter. Unlike Godric, Salazar's son was fortunate enough to have a son followed by eight more generations of males to carry on his name.

Unfortunately, it ended there with a daughter who married a Muggle by the name of Riddle. Harry glared at the name connected to this couple. Tom Riddle. Even looking at Voldemort's name made him want to scream and he felt that he would have blasted the name off the wall, the way Sirius' mother had done to Sirius' name on their family tree, but he calmed slightly at noticing Riddle's name was in black.

Confused, he quickly went up to Salazar's other child, and found with shock that the daughter had also instantly married a pure blood wizard. Harry tried to blink a few times and ensure that he was seeing things correctly. Apparently this couple had had a son named Jonathon whose name was connected by a purple line to the other single granddaughter of Godric Gryffindor.

If this was not surprise enough, Harry's jaw dropped when he followed this line down six more generations to the name written in emerald green, and Slytherin's present heir: James Potter.


	18. Unlikely Alliance

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A/N: Hello everyone! I apologise for the extremely long wait this time around, but I unfortunately was admitted to the hospital for a week and a half and just got out yesterday! Let me tell you how difficult it is to be cut off from all things media, lol. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I've replied to some of the questions from the reviews. Take care everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful Easter : D Kyle**

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Babebunny: Hey! Thanks! He sure is both : D Unfortunately that simply is not allowed as each person must have one true "active" heir. Take it easy, Kyle : D

Mosrael: I have no intention of quitting, and I always proofread. Unfortunately the chapters are so long I sometimes miss a few things. Thanks for reviewing and I'll try to weed out a few more next time. Take care, Kyle : D

Poemzie: Hey bud! Glad to see ya liked it : D I had not thought of killing Binns in this section, although it would be a double shock for poor Harry who just got over his being alive, lol. Still waitin for more chapters from you my friend. Catch ya later, Kyle : D

Darkmoons-lion: Hooray! Surprises are fun … usually, lol. Glad to hear you didn't see it coming. Take care and hope to hear from you again, Kyle : D

Totallystrange: Hey! Don't worry about missing a review ( I promise I won't hate you, lol) You're absolutely right about Lily and Charms. I have it written correctly in my notes, and then I switched her and James for some reason when I wrote it. I'll be sure to change that when I revise it. Thanks again and take it easy, Kyle : D

Olgreeneyes: Hey! The Occlumency lesson ran through his memory of the nightmare he had of James and Lily and Sirius being attacked. It will come up again ; D. He is suspicious but at the moment he had worse things to worry about.

Captain J 737: HAHAHa! Can't get anything passed you now can I. Not a single person mentioned that yet, but I'm glad you noticed. I can neither confirm nor deny any comment at this point, lol. Take it easy, Kyle : D

Flamata: Hello. Glad to hear you're enjoying the story so far.

1.While I have them married and dying on Halloween, I have put three years between the events. Marc uses a portkey to get them there and Harry used the Time turner remember?

2.I'll change Regulus to be younger than Sirius, but I cannot find anywhere that the Prewetts were older than Molly. It is possible but I can't find documentation. I actually think they were her brothers since they said her close relatives were murdered, and I think that is what spurred her to have a large family. I also think their death foreshadows Fred and George's heroic death. The names F and G seem to be paired well. Alright, enough off topic, lol.

3. I don't think the Marauders are stupid, but they are better off having Harry close to them where they can watch him closely, (and turn out having fun) than asking questions they know they won't get answers to.

4. I suppose it could be reworked, but Harry really had no other way out of his blunder with Amelia Bones. He had no intention of mentioning his parents death, and when he does I would find it highly uncharacteristic of any Gryffindor to question the validity of his parents death. They would be Slytherins if that were the case. For all they know he has a motherly figure.

Tanks for your comments and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Take care and I hope to hear from you again. Kyle : D

Queen-of-monkey-magic: Hey! Harry is the heir of both, but Neville is simply the heir of Gryffindor. Sounds fun to me, muahaha! Take care, Kyle : D

Kalinerst: Hello! I will answer all your questions in the course of the story, but whatever do you mean about Fleur's true reasons, lol ; ) It should be a little while still for that. Thanks for reviewing and I hope to hear from you again. Kyle : D

Susan Potter: MISS POTTER! How dare you use an unforgivable on me! Lol I do hope it was a joke, and if not, then it would not have worked anyhow. You spelled it wrong, lol. Take it easy and I hope you enjoy this one. Kyle : D

WhispersofmoonShadows: Hello! Happy to see you're enjoying the story. I've never been the biggest Harry/Ginny shipper, but I don't dislike it either if it's done well. I won't say what happens in this as you've already noticed that Harry has several options before the end arrives. Take care, Kyle : D Oh, and I like the idea with lily being the heir of the other two founders, but I can firmly tell you that she is not. : D

Dracoinmydreams: Thankyou, I'm glad you like it. I'm sorry you don't like Harry's form, but the only other appropriate thing I could think of would be a phoenix and Rowling's already announced that to be Dumbledore's patronus so I shied away. I like the thought of him growing and being something similar to his father anyhow. Catch ya later, Kyle : D

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Chapter 18: Unlikely Alliance

Harry felt all of the air in his lungs rush out in one quick breath. He grabbed hold of the desk beside him to stabilize himself as he stared on in disbelief at the name written in front of him. James Potter's emerald green name stared right back at him, each curling letter proof that he was the heir of Slytherin. Suddenly, the thought of Malfoy being his heir sounded a whole lot better.

Neville being Gryffindor's heir was one thing, but him being Slytherin's was simply too much. Harry stared at the crimson and emerald names for a little while longer, hoping against all odds that they might change, until finally he realised that his life had once again taken one of the wonderful twists that it generally did. This year's was slightly earlier than usual, but definitely one of the largest thus far.

He continued to study the names on the lists and found that all of the names belonged to people who were dead in his time, except for Frank Longbottom, his mother Mrs. Longbottom, James Potter, and Tom Riddle. That left very few heirs.

Harry's eyes followed the converging lines between Gryffindor's and Slytherin's family members and then down to his father's name. As he stared at it, his eyes flew wide open and he started to smile. If his great-grandmother eight times ancient was on Gryffindor's side, he would actually be one of Gryffindor's heirs as well as Slytherin's. This lightened his heart immensely. If only he had been born slightly later than Neville, he-. His eyes opened wider still. He was a day younger than Neville, and following the wizarding rules of lineage, that made him Gryffindor's youngest and present heir, not the blond boy.

Harry grinned madly at the thought for several moments until he noticed something else that made his relief leave him as quickly as it had come. His father was also one of Gryffindor's heirs, and he was years younger than Frank Longbottom, however his name still shone brightly in emerald green. How was this possible? Why was the magic contract of an heir not being fulfilled, and the torch being passed on to the newest blood of the line?

Hours went by and still Harry found himself clueless as to why he would probably turn out to be Slytherin's heir. What had he done to curse him so, and why was there always some ridiculous exception when it came to him. For once he simply wanted to be ordinary, even if it meant being an ordinary heir. He laughed out loud at the thought; Compared to the rest of his life, being Gryffindor's heir would have been quite ordinary.

He walked around the old room several more times, inspecting the odd items left behind by the founders, most of them personal knick-knacks and photographs, but there were also some books and parchments laying around. Deciding he could sort through some of them at a more convenient, not to mention comfortable time, he collected several stacks from each desk and started toward the door.

Deciding he best get back to his dormitory before his other roommates caught wind of his absence, Harry took one last glance around the magnificent library and snuck back under his cloak before slipping out of the room and securely shutting the door behind him.

He was soon back in his common room and it wasn't long before he found himself comfortably resting in his four-poster, all of the hangings shut tightly. His new stacks of parchment were securely hidden in his trunk to be studied thoroughly another day, when his mind was not frazzled by new revelations and disappointment.

Thoughts of all he had learned rushed around his mind as he tried so hard to clear his mind, before realising it was futile and simply giving up. Instead of fighting it, he took a deep breath and smiled. He had been through far worse and survived, what was one more little surprise.

As he slowly drifted to sleep, he saw the ornate door to the secret library from behind his lids and knew all too well that he would probably never see it again. The last conscious thought to pass through his mind was 'I am heir to Salazar Slytherin, and I will show the world how great I am'.

The next week passed quickly and without great occurrence. Compared to what Harry had learned the week before, there was very little that would surprise him now. His lessons in Defense class continued to be interesting and entirely informative, whereas History of magic continued to bore him so severely that he found the pages of his text firmly pasted to his chin by means of drool during one of the lessons.

Harry continued to sneak out with the Marauders frequently, and decided that this time was entirely better than his own. Not only did he have an incredible group of friends to spend his time with, but he was also truly getting to know both of his parents. Even spending time with Snape was turning out to be a hundred times better in this time, as at least he was able to impress this version of the greasy man with his talent in Potions.

Harry smiled brightly as he walked to the dungeons with the Marauders, all of them discussing what new pranks they could set up that night after classes and dinner were over. The consensus was that it would have to do with the Slytherins, something they usually agreed upon every day. Harry continued to laugh until Sirius began to describe his latest plan for today's Potion's lesson.

He intended to catch Snape off guard by placing a small exploding Gobstone in his cauldron while he was busy collecting ingredients. Then, once his potion was bottled and brought up to professor Sharpbane, he would set off the Gobstone and have it drench the severe woman. The other group members howled with laughter as Sirius did an impression of what Snape would look like.

Harry tried to laugh along with them but found himself feeling extremely sympathetic toward the Slytherin boy. He under no circumstances liked Snape, but at the same time he knew what he would soon endure, and that he had the power to stop it. Harry sighed as he walked into the dungeons and walked passed his friends toward his seat at the front of the room, where he could see Snape's greasy head hunched low over his cauldron.

'Hello,' Harry greeted his partner as he took his seat and started to unload his supplies from his rucksack.

'Portus,' Snape said with the slightest of nods, not bothering to look up from his cauldron.

Harry thought for a moment about warning Snape about Malfoy's upcoming attempt to bring him to the Dark, but was interrupted by professor Sharpbane entering the room and briskly starting the lesson. She seemed her usual bitter self and stared down her nose at each pair as she roamed the room menacingly throughout the period. Harry could not be certain, but he thought he saw the dark-haired woman's face soften slightly when she looked down on his mother.

Today's assignment entailed brewing the Weightless Draft, a potion that unsurprisingly rendered the drinker less heavy with every dose taken. It was a particularly difficult draft and he and Snape had been working silently for nearly half an hour, their potion looking like it should so far. The pair behind them had already managed to mess theirs up three times, once causing a wall of silver flame to erupt from the surface of their desk. Gryffindor had lost thirty points for that.

As the end of class neared, Harry looked over to the other side of the room and found Sirius and James quietly charming the gobstone to explode on their command. Thinking quickly, Harry pulled out a bit of parchment and grinned evilly. He might not be able to warn Snape about Lucius Malfoy, but he certainly could save him a ton of personal embarrassment today. He quickly scribbled a note on the parchment before discretely sliding it toward his partner and whispering to him, 'fill two sample vials.'

Snape looked utterly confused and looked at the piece of parchment as though it were disease infested. Harry gave him an insistent look and he grudgingly picked up the parchment and read it. His eyes widened and then flashed with anger as he turned to look at his partner. Harry simply mouthed the words 'do it' to him and he huffed loudly before turning back to finish his potion. He secretly filled a vial with their finished potion and stoppered it before placing it inside his robes.

Not a minute later, Snape got up and went over to the supply cupboard pretending to get their last ingredient. While he was there, Sirius walked over to their station with the pretence of asking Harry for a quill, and quickly let the tiny bomb fall into the cauldron with a plop. He flashed a quick grin at Harry before walking back to his seat where he and James watched eagerly for what would come next.

Snape came back to his station and put on a show of adding more ingredients before filling another vial with the substance and being sure that the gobstone was in it before stoppering the top. He then reached into his robes and handed Harry their actual sample, leaving the contaminated sample in the folds of his uniform. Harry smiled and set it down on the table in front of him so that Sirius and James could both see that it was there.

What happened next surprised him. Snape was to drop the bad sample in the waste bin and hand in the good one, leaving the Marauders stunned and confused when the waste bin blew up. Instead, he got up and walked over to where James and Sirius were seated, shocking most of the class, all of who were now watching him intently.

As soon as he reached their station he looked down his large nose at their potion and sneered.

'You call that a potion Potter?' he nearly spat.

'Yeah, maybe you should take note Snivellus,' Sirius called back, making Snape glare even more fiercely than before.

'You're one to talk Black. If it weren't for your wife here,' he nodded to James, 'you wouldn't even be able to cut up your ingredients.'

Sirius lunged forward and almost knocked Snape to the ground, but was held back by James and Remus.

'Ten points from Gryffindor, Mister Black!' professor Sharpbane shouted angrily from behind her desk.  
'Now bring me your sample and we shall see if you have earned any marks today.'

Snape shot Harry a look, and he took it as his cue to hand theirs in as well.

'Here's ours as well professor,' he said, placing it on the edge of her desk and quickly taking his seat again. Sirius handed his to the professor and grinned widely as he looked down at Harry and Snape's sample on the desk. He quickly walked back to stand next to James, and the pair watched as their teacher inspected their work.

'It seems to be of decent colour, but the consistency is wrong and I'm quite certain the effects will be weak.'

As she graded the sample out loud, Sirius decided to set off the gobstone, deciding that the sample would make a larger mess from where it sat on the edge of the desk. He quickly flicked his wand and then ducked behind his desk.

Nearly everyone in the room screamed as the vial in Professor Sharpbane's hand exploded, coating her front side in the slimy saffron draft. Sirius and James both sat up laughing hysterically, until they saw that Snape's sample still sat unharmed on the edge of the desk. Their eyes widened in shock as they realised their professor was now coated in potion and glaring more furiously than she ever had at them.

Sirius was the first to try and apologise, but soon found it difficult to remain silent as their professor drifted off the ground. The entire class watched in horror as their most despised professor became weightless and started to float above her desk, her voice screaming louder than they had ever heard.

That night Harry and Marc sat in front of the fire grate in the common room with Remus and Peter. It had taken two hours for the exploded potion sample to wear off, by which time Gryffindor had lost nearly eighty points and Sirius and James had landed themselves in a month's worth of detentions. The four talked and laughed for hours about this and that, but mostly about how funny it had been to see James and Sirius beaten at their own game; And by Snape on top of it all.

Remus had figured out that Snape had switched the vials when he had provoked Sirius as a distraction, but still could not figure out how he had known. Harry acted shocked as well. He pointed out that they themselves had watched everything happen smoothly.

Sirius and James entered the common room just after midnight, both looking extremely put-off and smelling oddly of fish. They grudgingly explained that they had spent five hours bottling fish eyes and newt legs before they all decided to turn in and headed up to their dormitories.

The next two days passed by without incident, James and Sirius still in detention and neither of them understanding why. Harry and Marc had been to see the Headmaster the day before and were disappointed to hear that he was no closer to finding them a way home. Marc appeared to be slightly distressed at this news, and Harry tried his best to seem disappointed as well, while he truly wished he could stay in this time forever.

In his own time he did have great friends and a near-perfect girlfriend, but he also had Voldemort, a severe lack of parents and then of course he was famous. In this time, he was nobody. Every morning he woke up and felt happy, knowing that when he walked into the Great Hall heads would not spin towards him and then turn back to their friends to whisper about the latest Potter rumours.

Harry knew that this was indeed a greedy thought, but if he could have stayed with his parents, Godfather and Remus, he would gladly have given up all he had to do so. He looked around the corridors now as he walked to double Potions and shuddered involuntarily at the coldness of the dungeons. They seemed to be even colder back in this time.

He wondered what would happen today, as it would be the first Potions class since the fiasco with Snape and Sirius three days prior. He wondered what Snape would think of him today, and if Sirius and James had thought up another nasty prank for the always suspecting Slytherin boy.

He walked into the classroom just as the bell rang and took his quickly at the front of the room, under the ever-cold gaze of professor Sharpbane. Harry was quite accustomed to dirty glares during Potions lessons, but today was quite different. While professor Sharpbane was a nasty wench and clearly hated him, she had never shown such disgust toward him as she now did. Harry looked away quickly and wondered what exactly it was he could have done to make her practically spit on him.

It was not until the end of the lesson that he found out. He and Snape had just finished bottling their sample for the professor when Snape looked up at him and nearly made him jump when he called his name. Snape was never the first to initiate conversation during their brief classes together.

'Portus. I'll be working on a Potion this evening after dinner for extra credit. The professor thought it might be a creative way to make up some extra points and I agreed. I've asked her if perhaps you could join me and the other student helping. Would you be interested?'

He said this in a very monotone voice, not showing any eagerness or fear of rejection, and was said much the way one would discuss the weather outside. Harry just stared stupidly at him for a moment, not believing that he had just been invited to make some extra house points by Severus Snape.

'Uh yeah, that would be great. What time are you working on it at?' he asked, trying to sound as though he was not at all surprised, and nearly succeeding.

'You can meet us here at six o'clock,' Snape told him before collecting his bag and leaving the classroom.

Harry also picked up his bag and hastily replaced the cauldron on the shelf at the back of the room before heading for the exit. He stole a last brief glance toward the professor's desk and found that she was still glaring at him as he left the room. He smiled at the thought. If there was one way to really get to her, it was to be invited to a special activity by her favourite pupil and then have her watch helplessly as he did well. The best part was that she could not harm his grade without harming Snape's as well.

Harry was met by the Marauders in the corridor on his way to Charms class and found that James and Sirius had quickly bounced back to their regular selves, already discussing what Charm they could use on poor little professor Flitwick.

To any normal person it would have sounded cruel to gang up on a defenceless and extremely little, old man, but Harry knew very well that despite his size, Flitwick could most certainly hold his own in a duel. The rest of the class also knew this, as it was commonplace for him to be attacked by one or more of the Marauders at least once during each lesson. Harry had yet to see him get caught off guard, each time being one or more steps ahead of the young pranksters and beating them to the punch.

This of course made it more of a mission to James and Sirius, each failure resulting in their doubling their efforts for the next class. What Harry knew they didn't realise was that professor Flitwick was essentially using them to teach the class more about Charms than any normal lecture would have done. The little man really was quite smart.

Harry walked into the familiar classroom and took his seat at the front of the room, two seats away from his father and two from his mother. The pair gave each other a brief look before James flashed her a grin and she directed a rude gesture at him that made Harry cough loudly and turn to face the front.

Flitwick began his lesson in his regular cheery voice, standing in his regular position atop a crooked pile of textbooks that Harry always expected to fall over and crush the tiny man. He taught the class several new charms, each involving physical changes of appearance. They represented the less stable and far shorter results of the metamorphmagi. Harry listened gladly to what he believed might one day be useful in Auror training and took down all the wizard said. He was halfway through explaining the third technique when it happened.

A blue light streaked across the room toward the white-haired professor, intent on striking him off his pile of books, each student watching intently as it streaked toward him. It struck him in the face and everyone watched as he froze on his perch with a silly grin on his face, having apparently been finally caught off guard.

Sirius and James both jumped to their feet and started what could be interpreted as a victory dance when the funniest thing happened. The grin on Flitwick's face widened and he winked at them. Before either boy could react the blue light that had struck their teacher seemed to shoot back out of his face and split in two before hitting them both squarely in the chest.

The entire class laughed uncontrollably as the professor explained he had used a repelling charm with a slight delay before continuing the class. Little work was completed before the end of class however, as it was very difficult to concentrate with the frozen dumbfounded expressions on the statuesque boys in the middle of the room.

As soon as the bell rang, professor Flitwick unfroze the boys and wished them luck for next lesson, telling them not to drop their guard so easily. Neither of them looked too pleased at being had in front of everyone but could not help but congratulate one of their favourite professors on outsmarting them yet again.

Harry walked with them to lunch after that and found that he could only speak to Remus as James and Sirius had already begun planning their next attack, and Peter was never an option.

'So why is it you allow these two such liberties?' he ventured to the sandy-haired boy, looking pointedly at the scarlet Prefect's badge that gleamed from where it was pinned on the front of his shabby robes and looked very out of place.

'What, this?' he answered with a scoff. 'I have absolutely no idea why Dumbledore would give me this,' he answered and flicked his pin so that it spun around. 'Do you honestly believe that I could in any way prevent those two from playing their pranks?' Harry realised that this was not really a question and merely nodded with a smirk. 'Besides, I'm not big on dealing out punishments. Not my thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore gave the pin to someone else next year. Not that I'd really care.'

Harry studied the look on his face and decided that he was being completely honest. He did not look like he cared one way or the other, probably because he was worrying about far worse things than removing house points and playing hall monitor. He had to worry three nights a week about growing hair all over his body that were accompanied by razor sharp claws and a mouth full of fangs. Responsibilities to one's school were definitely lowered on the priorities list when one became a highly destructive and possibly murderous creature of the darkness.

The dark circles under his eyes indicated to Harry that they would be having a full moon within the next days, and Harry wished that he could have done something to comfort the boy. Unfortunately he was not supposed to know about the unfortunate case of lycanthropy and merely continued to the Great Hall silently.

The five boys took their seats at the Gryffindor table and Harry was quickly joined by Marc, who looked severely harassed. He kept looking over his shoulder at the Hufflepuff table fearfully and refused to accept notes from an owl that kept swooping down to him.

'What's going on Marc?' Harry asked, highly amused with his friend's behaviour and trying not to show it.

'Some bloody Hufflepuff girl keeps sending me love letters and I already told her I had a girlfriend.' He looked over his shoulder again and Harry followed his gaze to an extremely tall blonde girl who was waving excitedly at him and batting her eyelashes. Harry snickered.

'How's this funny!' Marc growled at him, clearly unimpressed with the girl's tactics to seduce him.

'I find it amusing that you mind so much,' Harry commented, warranting a nasty glare from his friend.

'Yeah, and she's really not that bad after all,' Sirius leaned in, having obviously heard what Marc said.

'That's not the point,' Marc said irritably, 'I told her I had a girlfriend and she still won't give up.'

'But you don't have a girlfriend,' Harry reminded him unnecessarily, making Marc give him a warning look that quickly shut him up.

Harry decided to drop the subject for the moment as Dumbledore got to his feet to make an announcement and the hall fell silent. He quietly cleared his throat before speaking.

'In one week's time Hogwarts will be host to a professor and several students from Durmstrang Wizarding Institution. They will only be visiting for a very short time and I ask that you all make them feel welcome. They will merely be here for educational purposes, and I ask that you all help me in showing them the way a real wizarding school should look.' He smiled as the hall erupted in cheers and applause, the students all glad to see that their Headmaster showed a slight bias to his own school. 'I will remind you all as the date comes nearer, but for now I ask that you treat the castle well so that it might be in great condition for our guests.' He made a very pointed look at the Gryffindor table, and both James and Sirius grinned and gave him a three-fingered salute.

'That'll be interesting,' Remus offered as soon as the Headmaster had taken his seat again. 'You two must be excited to see some of your old friends and professors,' he added to clarify.

Both Harry's and Marc's eyes widened. They had not thought of that and now they were in for quite a large problem. Even if Marc, by some odd miracle, knew the professor, there was no way that they could know him yet. They would have to be sure they were not in contact with the visitors when they arrived, lest any of the Marauders became suspicious. It was lucky enough that they had not questioned Harry's remarkably similar appearance to James.

Just one more thing to add to Harry's growing list of worries. He pushed it to the back of his mind, thinking that he would soon run out of space back there to push things.

Lunch ended and Harry found himself sitting in Transfiguration class next to Lily once again, both of them easily completing their task for McGonagall. Halfway through the double period, McGonagall had the class put away their wands and remove their quills to take notes on theory. The class would soon be starting their Metamorphmagi component of the curriculum and she intended to educate them best she could before beginning.

'Can anyone tell me how a person might change their appearance?' she asked, knowing that there were several appropriate answers but obviously looking for one.

'Specific illusionment charms?' a brown-haired Ravenclaw girl offered from the back of the room.

'Absolutely Miss Crafton, any other ways?'

'Animagus transformations,' Harry heard his father's voice call from the back of the room and he grinned slightly, knowing that there were four Animagi in the room.

Actually there were five, he corrected himself, remembering that he was technically one as well. He wished he could see the look on old McGonagall's face if all four boys transformed in front of the class.

'Very good Mister Potter, but I'm afraid that that is one of the far less common ways to change one's appearance. It is not often that a person is able to, nor needs to become an animal as disguise.' Many students snickered at this. 'A well cast illusionment charm is indeed more practical but not very reliable in long time spans. There is one way that is very reliable, but very difficult to master.'

Harry lifted his hand into the air and waited to be called upon.

'The Metamorphmagus transformation professor,' he replied with a small smile and saw that she did not expect anyone to know of it yet. She gave a very rare raised eyebrow, showing that she was impressed.

'Very good Mister Portus. Now we will be learning some of the basic Metamorphmagi transformational training for the next portion of this class until Christmas. It is very difficult, so we will simply be learning it from the text and mostly understand the theory. There will only be theory questions on your N.E.W.T's, so there is no worry about practical. It is very unlikely that anyone in the room could do it.'

There were several huffs from the back of the room, as Sirius and James looked offended by being told they could not do something. Harry noticed that even Lily looked slightly put-off.

'Now I'm not saying that no one can do it, I simply said that it was unlikely,' McGonagall corrected. 'I myself am incapable of such magic, but as all of you know I am a registered Animagus. Power is not measured by one's ability to transform, and you must all remember that there are many different facets of magic and that each of you will be strongest in something.'

Harry slowly raised his hand and once again waited for the professor to call on him.

'I've read all about the transformation professor and I understand that it is an extremely complicated procedure taking much time and concentration. That being said, I was wondering if it was possible to receive any sort of extra marks on the N.E.W.T's if we are capable of it?' he asked and saw the doubtful look on her face.

'I would think it quite likely Mister Portus, however I do believe you will have to work quite hard on it to do anything visibly worth extra marks, and I do not believe you have the time to dedicate yourself to it with all the other courses you have.'

Harry smiled wider now and decided that it would not hurt to have a little fun with the Transfiguration professor. After all, he was quite pleased with himself for having done so well with his private training in the summer.

'May I try it anyway professor?' he asked now, making her lips thin and eyes narrow.

'You may do as you wish Mister Portus, but do not be disappointed if it does not work out as well as you might expect.' With that said she turned back to her desk to pick up her opened text. When she turned back to the class she was surprised to see that Harry was standing next to her and facing the class with a smile on his face.

'Can I ask what you're doing Portus?' she asked him in a voice Harry had never heard. It was apparent that she had never had to share her teaching space with anyone before, and it was common knowledge that she was rarely interrupted during her lessons.

'You told me that I could try if I like professor,' he said and saw the disbelieving look on her face. The semi-surprised look quickly became stern and she nodded, knowing that he would be incapable but that it would be a good lesson to the class.

Harry could feel her gaze along with those of the rest of the class on him as he closed his eyes tightly and began to clear his mind. He took several deep breaths and began imagining what his eyes would look like if they were brown. It wasn't difficult to picture now that he had spent time with his sixteen-year-old father. He then pictured his forehead without the permanent lightning bolt mark and concentrated hard. Nearly five minutes passed in silence before he heard McGonagall start toward him and he opened his eyes.

He turned to face the professor and her eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Lily was the next to react, gasping and letting her jaw drop.

'You look exactly like him!' she said loudly and turned to point at James, who was now leaning in to get a better look.

'That's incredible mate!' he said in awe as Harry walked back and forth across the room so that everyone could see.

'Just wait,' he said and lifted his hand to his hair. He quickly ruffled it so that it looked wind swept and half the class burst out laughing, no one laughing louder than Sirius and Lily.

'He's got you down mate!' he said, clapping a glowering James on the back.

'Very good, very good Mister Portus,' McGonagall ended the laughter and now approached Harry. 'Where did you learn to do that?' she asked, making Harry think quickly before responding.

'I simply practiced a lot over the summer and did exactly what the book said to do.' He shrugged his shoulders slightly.

'I'm very impressed. Ten points to Gryffindor for your initiative, and if you wish to further those abilities I recommend we set up some private training. I would be willing to help you get those extra marks and anyone else who is interested. Is that the extent of your abilities now Mister Portus, or is there anything else we should see?'

He thought briefly about turning himself into a Mustang, but then decided against it for fear that McGonagall may drop dead of shock, and opted to simply close his eyes and picture himself with shoulder length auburn hair.

That evening, after another one of Dumbledore's set up Occlumency lessons, Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor common room, dragging his feet as he walked and glaring around the hallways sulkily. He absolutely hated his Occlumency lessons and he knew he would pay for having asked to be taught in this time. He truly thought that Snape was a cruel teacher and that no one could out-mean him, but he was wrong.

Professor Sharpbane, being the master Occlumens that she was, was very much capable of penetrating Harry's mind with ease, making it very frustrating for him every time he fell to his knees in pain. He had re-witnessed most of the traumatic events from his childhood in the past three hours and was now feeling quite sick of being anywhere near that dreadful woman. She seemed to actually enjoy watching his memories flash by.

He gave a nearly inaudible grunt in response to the fat lady's greeting before climbing into the common room and letting the portrait swing close. As soon as he stepped in, he saw the four Marauders sitting by the fire in their regular seats, discussing something that seemed to have all four of them quite upset.

'I wish we could Moony! You know we don't want to be in detention, but it's McGonagall. There's no way out of it,' James was saying pleadingly.

'I said it was fine,' a very tired looking Remus told him. 'I've been on my own before, and I do seem to still be here.'

'I'll still be there,' Peter said suddenly, to which all three of the others quickly said no.

'Not without us there,' Sirius said solemnly, 'You wouldn't stand a chance.'

'I'd tear you apart!' Remus said, and Harry fought a smile as he saw the fearful look in the short boy's eyes before he nodded in agreement.

'What are you guys talking about?' Harry said casually as he pretended to stroll into the room toward them.

They all went rigid and pretended that they had not been talking at all, making them look more suspicious than ever. Harry knew exactly what it was they were discussing, but thought it might be amusing to see how they tried to cover it up.

'Well, you guys have a good detention and I'll find the two of you, ' he said pointing to Remus and Peter, 'later. I have a meeting with McGonagall,' he lied, 'but Ii should be back in a couple of hours. Maybe we could play a game of Gobstones or exploding snap?' he asked and waited for a nod from Remus before once again leaving and making his way down to the dungeons, a wide grin on his face.

This was excellent. Now he could kill two birds with one stone. He would be getting extra grades in Potions and helping a friend more than he would ever understand.

Harry walked down the cold dank corridor to his Potions classroom, the cold unwelcoming stone of the walls cast in shadows by the few torches that lined them. The walk was usually one of dread and foreboding, but tonight it was filled with anticipation and excitement. No matter what happened tonight, Harry would come out better than he had gone in.

He walked up to the large classroom, prepared to make a perfect potion, but stopped when he heard voices coming from inside. One was definitely Snape's but the other also sounded familiar. Snape had said that there would be another student helping, but as of yet, Harry had not bothered to guess who it might be. Now he leaned in a little closer and listened to find out before entering the room.

'You'll need help with that potion then won't you?' he heard the girl say.

'I think I can manage,' Snape said shortly, 'and if I did I wouldn't ask a Gryffindor.'

Harry's eyes widened as he listened in on their conversation about a particular growth potion. This was not happening. He took a deep breath knowing now exactly who Snape was speaking with, having dreamed this very moment so many weeks ago. He waited for a pause in the conversation and knew that as he stepped into the classroom he would find his mother hugging the dark-haired Slytherin.

Sure as he knew he would find them, the redhead and hook-nosed boy were sharing a brief embrace as he walked in and casually cleared his throat. The pair separated quickly, both looking slightly flustered and definitely embarrassed.

'Shall I give you two a moment?' Harry said in a mocking voice, trying his best to make a joke of this otherwise horrifying situation.

'Shut it Portus!' Snape growled at him, but it was evident that he did find the humour in the situation, as his lips seemed to fight to keep in their regular scowling formation. Lily on the other hand smirked at him and gave him one of those ever-so-elegant gestures that she normally reserved for James.

'Are we going to start this or what?' Harry finally said, wanting to get the Potion started. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could rub the results in professor Sharpbane's face.

'Unless you happened to go blind in the last couple of hours, you'll notice that we've already started,' Snape said, pointing at the cauldron to which he and Lily had evidently added some ingredients.

For the next three hours, the unlikely trio worked amicably on something that all of them found to be extremely delightful. While it was highly doubtful any of these individuals would be spotted outside of this room together, they all seemed very much at ease and almost like friends as they added ingredients to their potion between bouts of clever banter and the odd joke at one of their expenses. Harry had never thought he would see the day that he would joke around with his sixteen-year-old mother and Severus Snape.

At half-past nine, Harry found himself carrying a bottle of absolutely perfect growth potion toward professor Sharpbane's deserted desk, a small note attached to it describing the effects and all of their names. He set it down and turned back to his partners, keen on saying his goodbyes so that he might start his next task.

'Severus?' Harry asked daringly, hoping that the boy would not become upset at his using his first name. He raised an eyebrow at him inquisitively before answering him in his usual last name manner. 'I was just wondering how you managed to get professor Sharpbane to allow us in here without supervision.'

Lily started to laugh and Snape's lips curled upwards as they both enjoyed what appeared to be some sort of joke that Harry had not been let in on.

'In case you haven't noticed Harry,' she started, 'there really isn't much our dear Severus can't get from that woman. Granted she likes me enough, I can't exactly claim to have the Potions Mistress wrapped around my little finger!'

Snape did not seem amused by this statement, but gave a small smirk at her anyway. Harry also noticed that he made no attempt to deny what she had said.

'Well we had better finish cleaning up and get back to our common rooms soon. Curfew is in half an hour and I still want to get to the Prefect's bathroom before then,' Lily said, picking up some of their supplies and storing them away.

Harry waited until both of his partners were distracted before he pretended to put some of the supplies away and took the ingredients that he knew he would need, tucking them securely away in the folds of his robes. The three students gave the room one last glance before ensuring the door was locked and making their way toward the entrance hall.

They walked in silence until they reached the stairway and Lily and Harry both said goodnight to Snape as he turned to go off to his common room and they continued up into the warmer regions of the castle.

Harry walked quietly for a while next to the girl who would soon become his mother, and knew that he wanted to ask her questions, but was not sure where to start. She looked equally puzzled for something to say, so they continued to walk in silence. Finally as they reached the second floor, Harry decided that he needed to know something and that it simply could not wait any longer.

'Why on earth were you hugging Snape?'

Lily smiled and exposed her straight white teeth, obviously amused y his question. 'I was wondering when you'd ask. I know it seems odd, but Severus is really a nice person. He puts up with a lot of flack from those wonderful friends of yours.'

Harry sighed, knowing exactly what she meant. He was now part of most of the Slytherin's tormented days during his sixth year. 'So you're just friends right?' he asked, wanting to clarify the entire situation and put his mind to rest.

'Of course!' Lily said as though anything else would be ridiculous. 'He's always so serious and I could just tell he needed a friend. Besides, he's right smart in Potions, and like I said before, he does have the connections.'

'Does James know about the two of you being friends?' Harry asked next, hoping that she wouldn't figure out what he was implying.

'What do I care?' she said plainly. 'He's probably too busy messing up his hair or ogling girls with Black to even notice. That boy has to be one of the worst people I have ever met. I honestly don't know what you see in him.'

'He's not that bad,' Harry tried to defend his father, but found that he really did not have the will to.

'Not that bad? Have you seen the way he treats others Harry? He thinks he's some sort of God, always strutting around the castle and making eyes at the girls who happen to look his way. It's disgusting really. He's disgusting.'

'Hey!' Harry said in a hurt voice, pointing to himself up and down.

'Oh right. Sorry Harry. I didn't mean his looks, just the way he acts,' Lily added now blushing slightly.

'Good, because as much as I love being told I'm disgusting, I'd much rather be tolerated,' he said with a laugh.

The pair continued to talk about this and that, Harry no longer working with a hidden agenda, but rather simply enjoying his mother's company and learning as much as he could about her. Chances were that he would be leaving shortly, and he truly did not want to regret any more lost time than that which had been stolen from him.

The next day Harry awoke early with one thing on his mind: Potions. He got up and quickly dressed before collecting his borrowed ingredients and silently making his way out of the Gryffindor common room. He snuck through the empty corridors until he reached a certain girls lavatory that he knew would be deserted.

While the Room of Requirement would definitely be a better-equipped environment for potion making, it was simply too far away for him to be able to sneak off to every time he needed to check on his work.

He easily set up his cauldron and began to prepare his ingredients, adding each item as he did. He worked undisturbed for nearly an hour before the inevitable occurred and he heard a loud splash in the stall next to him.

'James!' came the ghost's nasally voice, showing her obvious surprise at seeing him there.

'Hello Myrtle,' Harry said, not correcting her, and deciding that it might prove to be funny later on.

'What are you doing here?' she asked now. 'You've never visited my toilet before.'

'Well Myrtle, I had to make a potion privately and I knew that you were one of the few people I could trust to keep it a secret. Besides, I thought you might like the company.' He smiled as he said this, and watched as a grin spread across the ghost's face. He knew that would certainly do the trick. Myrtle loved secrets, and she obviously enjoyed his father's looks as much as she enjoyed his.

So, for the remainder of the day, Harry rushed back and forth between classes and the lavatory, ensuring that the Potion was doing well and having Myrtle act as a lookout for him whenever he left the room. While Myrtle may not have been his first choice for company, she certainly did have some interesting stories to tell, most of which he heard as he brewed throughout the day.

Finally at five o'clock that evening, Harry bottled his potion and collected all of his supplies. He thanked Myrtle before leaving, and promised to stop in and see her again soon. With the amount of supplies he had borrowed from professor Sharpbane's stores, he had only managed to make three bottles of the desired draft and decided that it was better than nothing and that he could always make more if he needed to. Now he simply had to find his friend before it got too late.

Walking into the Great hall for dinner, Harry found that three of the marauders were sitting at the Gryffindor table, eating and laughing, but that the one he wanted was nowhere to be seen. He quickly turned around knowing where he would find him, and made his way silently out of the large front doors of the castle and toward the edge of the grounds.

All around him the evening air was crisp and cold, winds sporadically whipping toward him in an attempt to deter him from his path. The sun was going down and Harry knew that he had less than an hour to get to Remus, and even then he was not sure if he would have enough time for the Wolfsbane to take effect.

He made his way stealthily toward the Whomping Willow and found that the tree did look significantly younger than in his time, and that a large chunk of bark was not missing from the tree's midsection. Of course it would not be stripped away for another fourteen years, when a flying Ford Anglia would use it as a landing strip.

He used a long stick from the forest's edge that Remus had probably used, to hit the knot on the trunk of the tree, and then quickly snuck into the secret passage below before the crazed branches took action once more.

The long walk to the shrieking shack was one of the longest Harry could ever remember. He knew he had to give the potion to Remus, but that he really should not. Not that time would be changed, as there was still no way he would be able to decipher what the potion was made of, but if he chose to administer it, the werewolf would surely want an explanation as to how he knew what he was. Harry took one last breath before ducking through the last bit of the tunnel and emerging into the very open space that was Remus' prison three times a month.

There were no signs of Remus in the main area of the Shack but Harry figured he had probably tried to make himself as comfortable as was possible in the tiny bedroom upstairs until the transformation took place. He walked up the staircase, not bothering to be quiet as Remus' hearing would have already alerted him of Harry's presence, and only waited a moment before opening the door and stepping into the room that he had not seen since the day he met his Godfather.

'Prongs, I thought you weren't going to come. McGonagall'll worse than kill you if-' he stopped at seeing Harry's eyes. 'What are you doing here?' he asked, half surprised half angered. 'Get out!'

'I want to help you,' Harry said, and saw the look of impatience in the werewolf's eyes.

'Nobody can help me, and if you don't leave now you're the one who's going to need help.' He nearly snarled as he said the last comment. Harry could tell he was running out of time.

'Remus, this will allow you to keep your sanity after you transform,' he said quickly, reaching into his robes and exposing a bottle of the freshly brewed Wolfsbane. Remus' eyes widened and he stared in shock with his jaw hanging slightly ajar for the first time Harry could ever recall.

'What?' the sandy-haired boy said quietly. It was clear by the look in his eyes that he wanted to believe what Harry was telling him, but that he had been told for so long that no such thing existed. 'You're lying,' he finally decided.

'Why would I lie?' Harry asked calmly, despite the shrinking time window in which the potion would prove effective. 'I have absolutely nothing to gain from this, and you have nothing to lose. Just trust me,' he asked the boy in front of him, knowing that he would see reason and take what was being offered.

Remus stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity, before his eyes widened significantly and he let out a small gasp as though he had suddenly realised something. He then reached out and took the small vial from Harry's grasp, unstoppering it and letting the contents slide down his throat. He coughed and spluttered a bit before looking back up at Harry and scrunching his face in distaste. Harry just shrugged his shoulders.

'It was the best I could do with the time I had. Perhaps you were expecting cherry flavoured?' he joked, and received a half-hearted smile from his friend.

Remus motioned for him to sit down and Harry knew that this was it; Time for the interrogation. He sat down opposite his future mentor and sighed audibly before starting.

'First of all, let's just say that we know each other quite well where I come from.' Remus just kept staring at him. "I can't explain everything to you, but you simply have to believe me when I say that I am your friend.'

'How far back have you come?' Remus said, his calm features never changing. Harry smiled.

'You know I can't tell you that. But I have to say that I am quite surprised that it took you this long to figure it out. You're supposed to be the clever one you know.'

'Marc too then?' he asked, already knowing the answer, but having it confirmed by Harry's nod. 'I knew that you weren't who you said you were Harry. I just didn't know exactly where you had come from. The time travelling was the easy part to figure out, it's exactly when that I can't determine. You knew too much about the castle, but you did put up a valiant effort in trying to play dumb. As far as I know, it worked on the other three.'

'I should have known you would catch on.'

'Were you planning on pretending to be James tonight?' Remus asked with a small smile on his lips.

'Why do you ask that?' Harry said, not fully certain of where he was going with his line of questioning.

'Well those are his robes are they not? You reek of him.'

Harry felt relief flood through his body. He had just caught a very lucky break indeed. Who would have thought that smelling like your father would ever get you off the hook.

'Yeah, well I figured it would probably be the best way to get you to trust me,' he lied, finally glad that he would not have to reveal too much about himself. 'Unfortunately I ran out of time before I could change my eyes. Would it have worked?' he asked out of curiosity, now wondering why he had not thought of trying that to begin with.

'Not a chance,' Remus said with a strained smile. 'You walk nothing like him. So, how long am I going to have to wait until this wonderful concoction of yours hits the market?' he ventured to ask.

'Nice try, but you'll have to do far better than that.' Harry smirked. 'How are you feeling actually? I'm not entirely certain that you took it early enough.'

'I think it's working. I don't feel nearly as much pain as I usually do. There's no way I would be talking right now if you hadn't given me, what did you call it?' the sandy-haired boy tried another go. Harry simply shook his head with a small laugh.

'Sorry, but you'll just have to wait and find out.'

'Fine, then let's talk about you. How do I know you? Do we work together, or are we simply friends. I'll bet we meet just after graduation.' A warning glance from Harry had the werewolf smiling again and once again changing his line of questioning. 'All right then, what can you tell me about Harry Portus?'

'Well for starters, he misses his old friend and is glad to be spending the evening with him, even if he has to put up with his questioning all night long.'

'You can't stay,' Remus suddenly sat up straighter. 'What if the potion doesn't work properly? I'd tear you to shreds.'

'I'll be alright,' Harry said with a devilish smile. 'I have a little more in common with the Marauders than you think.' Remus gave him an odd look before sitting back again and nodding his understanding. 'Unfortunately, I can also tell you that when the Headmaster finds a way for me to get home, I'll have to ask for you to give up your memory of mine and Marc's being here.' Remus nodded again.

'I figured as much.'

'I don't mean to be rude. I simply mean that history could very well be changed if you don't, and believe me when I say that would not be a good thing.'

'You and I are that important in the future then?' Another glance had him grinning.

They sat in silence for several minutes before Remus asked another question. This time Harry was not fully prepared to answer.

'I know you don't want to tell me too much and I understand why, but if I'm going to give up my memories anyway, then perhaps you won't mind.' Harry gave him a curious look, wondering what exactly he could wish to know. 'You said that your parents died when you were nearly a year old. Every time it's brought up I can tell it obviously hurts. Why don't you tell me about it? It might help?'

Harry gave him a wary look and shook his head. 'That's alright, I don't really feel comfortable.'

'I thought you said we were friends where your from. I don't know what that means to you, but to me it means that we trust each other. I trusted you enough to drink that foul potion, and I hope you trust me enough to know that I only want to help you in return.'

Harry let out another sigh, knowing that the boy in front of him was most definitely going to be the same in twenty years. Always willing to help someone, even when he is practically being torn apart himself.

'I don't really remember them,' he said quietly, not sure why as there was no one around who would hear them. 'I was only a year old, and people have said that it's better off that way. That it would hurt more if I did remember them.'

'You don't agree though,' Remus said softly, not asking but simply understanding.

'How could I?' Harry said as though it was obvious. 'There is nothing I wouldn't give for another moment with them, a single memory. No price would be too high to hear my mother sing to me again, or hear my father teach me all about Quidditch, or even to know that they could see what I became.' He stopped to let out a long sigh, and Remus said nothing but simply smiled consolingly.

'It's silly really, to have selfish thoughts like that. At least I have some memories, and I know what they looked like. Some people don't even have that, even if it is in the form of old photographs. Plus I have so many wonderful people who tell me all about them. I really am lucky.'

'What were they like?' Remus asked. Harry smiled, thankful for a reason to talk about them.

'Well, my mother was the kindest person anyone had ever met. I honestly can't find a person who will argue that fact, and believe me when I say that I've tried a few people who represent the not so praising type. Brilliant witch apparently, Auror actually.'

Remus raised his eyebrows, showing his approval.

'And my father, well he was what you would call arrogant,' he said with a small laugh. 'There's nobody quite like him, and even though it took him and my mother a while to get together, I'm told that he really does turn out to be an alright fellow. Great Quidditch player. Until me, they said that he was one of the best players at Hogwarts.' Harry kicked himself the second he said that, and turned to see the small smile on Remus' face. 'You were waiting for that weren't you?'

'Naturally, but there are thousands of students who pass through this castle. I'm no closer to figuring it out then I was ten minutes-' He stopped talking and closed his eyes tightly, dropping onto his hands and knees in what looked like pain. Harry had seen this before and knew what was coming. 'If you're going to do it, do it now,' Remus shouted before hunching down lower to the ground.

Harry closed his eyes tightly and tried to clear his mind. He could hear Remus growling on the ground in obvious pain, but pushed it to the back of his mind as he willed his own body parts to change. He still had not completed the transformation, but decided that now was a better time than any to succeed. He pictured each part of himself changing and then imagined the final product.

A moment of pain rippled through his body as he felt his bones shifting and transforming under his thickening skin. Harry felt himself fall forward onto the ground and heard the loud clop as his newly formed hooves landed hard. The pain started to slowly subside and when he opened his eyes he stared down at his friend, still crouched low and awaiting his transformation.

Remus was panting painfully but managed to look up at his secretive friend and smiled as he looked into his bright green eyes. The last thing Harry saw and heard before the boy turned into a wolf, was as he leaned in with a wide grin and whispered into his ear.

'You have her eyes.'


	19. The Sisters Divine

A/N Well here it is guys. First off Happy birthday to the Weasley twins and ME! I'm 20 today on the wonderful day of the fool : D Hope it's exciting enough for you, and I'm quite certain that the next one shall be. I believe Harry's time in the past is coming to a close, so i do hope you've all taken something from his travels. Enjoy and please review. I'm sorry I'm unable to answer all your questions right now, but I'll be sure to respond to both in the next one. Take care everyone and Happy April Fools Day! Kyle : D

Chapter 19: The Sisters Divine 

The next morning dawned bright and early, the promise of a better day filtering in through the half rotting ceiling above it's prisoner's. Harry stirred in his sleep as the fingers of light made their way into his eyes and slowly woke him. He opened his eyes and immediately found it strange that he could see everything around him clearly.  
Stranger than that was that he was lying on a cold wooden floor, one of his roommates sitting across from him staring off oddly at the wall behind him. It took him a moment to realise why he was in the shrieking shack and then another to realise that he was already back in his human form. He reached out to pick up his glasses that lay on the floor several feet away.

'When did I-' Harry started to ask Remus when he reverted from his animagus form but the werewolf beat him to it having anticipated this very question.

'About four in the morning,' he smiled lightly. 'It's a good thing that potion worked or we wouldn't be speaking right now.' Remus took another moment to collect himself before standing and offering Harry a hand to pick himself up off the floor. 'Thanks,' he said, and nothing more. It was all that needed to be said.

'Any time,' Harry told him, unfortunately knowing that he would only be able to accompany him for two more nights with the available potion. After that, James and Sirius' detentions would be over and they would surely join their friend during the next full moon. 'Well, at least it looks nice enough today. Shall we go and enjoy what we can of it before lessons start. I'm actually quite famished.'

Remus smiled at him but Harry could see how strained it was. It was a look he often gave Ron and Hermione, and even the older Remus whenever they asked him if he was alright. He knew that Remus was far from ready to enjoy the day, and regretted even mentioning it now. Though the sun shone and the fresh air brought with it a chance for another day's freedom, both Harry and Remus knew better as they would undoubtedly be returning to this very room in less than twelve hours. 

He refrained from giving the sandy-haired boy a sorry look, as he knew from experience that it was the one thing that he himself hated most. Instead he smiled at him as though nothing was out of the ordinary and gave his robes a brush before heading toward the door. 

'Let's go!' he said to Remus loudly, 'I don't care if you're tired. I'm hungry!'

Harry grinned widely then, as Remus gave him one of the largest and most genuine smiles he had ever seen from him. The grey-eyed boy shook his head with a laugh and slapped Harry on the back as they walked back up to the castle. Harry was really glad at that moment that Remus knew his secret, making him feel slightly less lonely than usual. If one person from the past other than the Headmaster had to know, he would definitely have picked Remus.

For the most part Harry's day was uneventful, mainly filled with lessons and meals with the Marauders and Marc. He spent an hour talking with Marc during one of their mutual breaks and found that, though he would not directly say it, the curly-haired boy was far from ready to go home. Harry was glad to see it, as he did not want to go home any time soon, and punished himself mentally for half-wishing that Dumbledore not find a way to send them back.

Harry and Remus exchanged knowing glances and small smirks all day long as James and Sirius apologised profusely, but in secret, for leaving him on his own the night before. The last class of the day was Potions, and Harry could not wait for it to begin. He had not been face to face with professor Sharpbane since yesterday and he could not wait until she was forced to give him a mark in front of the whole class.

Harry rushed through the dungeon hallways, unable to express to his friends why he was so eager to get to class, Sirius calling him nutters the whole way there. He finally got there and rushed to his seat next to Snape, barely able to contain a grin that he wanted everyone to see. Professor Sharpbane was giving him an odd look today and he could not decipher exactly what it meant. She almost seemed to be gloating about something.

Harry said hello to Snape and got a curt nod in return. Turning to his mother a few rows over, she gave him a quick wink and a small smile, clearly waiting for the same thing as him.

The lesson was soon started and Harry figured that professor Sharpbane would want to wait until the end of the class to give them their bonus mark, saving herself from praising him in front of everyone. He smiled lightly as he and Snape worked away on their antidotes for some of the more gruesome poisons invented in the last five years. Things went well and then finally near the end of lesson, Professor Sharpbane gave Harry a malicious look before standing before the class and pulling what Harry knew to be their potion sample out of her robes pocket.

'Class, I felt it may be prudent to show you all something that I found very interesting.' She started calmly and with a rather normal look on her face, but Harry could tell that something was not right. 'This growth potion in my hands is an example of what can happen to a great potion maker when they are surrounded by those of incompetent natures and those with little skill. I believed this to be true, so I tested this theory in allowing our very talented Mister Snape to brew a draft alongside a fairly competent student,' she looked briefly toward Lily, 'and then one with very little talent.'

Harry could not believe what he was hearing, and he could feel his hatred for this woman bubbling up inside him. He watched incredulously with his mouth slightly ajar, as the Potions Mistress insulted him, and then looked over to see the furious and reddening face of his dark-haired partner. He must have felt severely embarrassed.

'Mister Portus' capabilities in Potions limited the overall effect, bringing the quality of what surely would have been a delightfully effective potion to this less than mediocre vial of sludge you see before you.' With a final smirk and flick of her wand, she emptied the vial and placed it back on her table. 'Miss Evans, you will receive an exceeds expectations for this assignment as your work remained stable as I had assumed it would, and Mister Portus, you shall receive an acceptable as it was undoubtedly you who determined the outcome of the project.'

Harry glared at the dark-haired woman more fiercely than he could ever remember having glared at Snape, wanting nothing more than to hex her with all he could. Something inside him wanted to lash out and strike the dark-haired woman, making Harry feel very uncomfortable as he breathed heavily in his seat. Snape on the other hand was seething silently in his, trying his best to ignore the snickers from Sirius and James.

'Now unfortunately Mister Snape, you have earned your first acceptable in this course, having been so terribly affected by Portus' work. While it was not you who ruined the draft, you should have been able to spot your partners' errors.'

Snape began to shake slightly in his seat, and Harry could tell that he had never been so humiliated in a class before. Especially not by his favorite professor and definitely not for his favorite pass time, something at which he was nearly perfect. Harry could not let this vile woman get away with punishing Snape just to get at him.

'This is ridiculous!' Harry cried at the professor as she made her way to her desk.

She stopped abruptly and turned back toward him, the look on her face one of incredulity and deep loathing. It was evident that she had never been challenged before, and Harry was beginning to wonder if he had been foolish in standing up to her.

'What did you say Portus?' she asked in an evenly low voice, daring him to say it again. Harry found himself incapable of rational thought and continued the attack.

'I said this is ridiculous!' a few students gasped and others shook their heads as though he was crazy. 'You can't punish Lily and Severus just because you don't like me!'

'That is quite enough Portus! Fifteen points from Gryffindor for your little outburst and don't ever interrupt me again or I'll-'

'Or you'll what?' Harry shouted at her, now extremely red in the face and unable to control his emotions. 'Take away more points from me like you do every lesson anyway? Or will you give me detentions just so that we spend more time together? Or maybe you'll have me make potions in class and then grade them poorly and give your half-witted opinions on them as usual.'

'How dare you!' she roared now, creating such a noise as Harry had never heard in the dungeons before. 'How dare you question my abilities, when you cannot even brew a simple growth draft?' she added having lowered her voice to nearly a shriek now.

'I dare because it's the plain truth,' Harry snarled. 'If you had half a brain in that overly large head of yours, you would have found that that potion is damn near perfect and that I am more than capable of creating any draft you set for me. Unfortunately, it would appear that your pride prevents you from noticing these sorts of things, but still allows you to play favorites with your own house. Funny how that works, is it not professor?' Harry said, now speaking through a clenched jaw and waiting for the moment that he knew she would snap.

'GET OUT!' she screamed at him, pointing her wand in his direction, her chest heaving heavily as she tried to control her breathing and failed. 'I never want to see you in-'

'Oh, and like I do!' Harry cut her off again, not believing the words that came out of his own mouth. 'I'd rather hug a lethifold and kiss a blast-ended skrewt than look at you for another minute you wretched hag!'

This said, he grabbed his things and headed for the door, every head tracking his movement as he went. Had he not been so angry, he would have laughed at the dumbstruck expressions on his parents' faces. He turned back toward her before exiting the dungeon, an icy glare on his face as he looked her up and down in disgust.

'Oh, and don't bother going to the Headmaster, I'll tell him myself. If I'm lucky, he might play favorites the way you do!'

Harry quickly turned and rushed from the room, feeling very immature and extremely frustrated. He did not stop walking until he reached the gargoyle outside the Headmaster's office and leaned back against the stones of the wall. Never before had he treated a professor in such a manner, and never before had he enjoyed speaking that way to anyone; not even Malfoy.

Now he leaned heavily on the wall, slightly out of breath and very tired, but he had not felt this good since before the loss of his Godfather. Something had been wrong in that classroom to make him act the way that he had.

He had felt different, as though something inside him was changing, moving, wanting to get out. He felt the way he had when he lost control at the Dursley's in the summer when uncle Vernon had spoken ill of Sirius. Harry sighed and sunk further down the wall. How he wished Sirius were there to help him now. He had never needed help more than this instant, and now he felt more alone than ever before.

Something was wrong with him, something severely and completely wrong, and he had no control over it. This was now the third time it had happened, the second time causing him to use an unforgivable curse. He could not tell the Headmaster this, but he would need to tell him something, or risk expulsion from the one place he could call home.

He stood up and took a breath before looking up at the smirking gargoyle and saying 'sugar quill.'

'I'm afraid this is quite serious Harry,' Dumbledore said to him in his regular calm voice, irritating Harry beyond reason.

How could he be so calm about something so important? And why did he feel the need to inform him that it was serious. It was as though he thought him completely daft.

'I know, and I don't know what to do,' Harry said in as calm a voice as he could muster. 'I've been going to my Occlumency lessons and I've trained harder than ever before with professor Sharp-' he paused, unwilling to speak her name, the anger still fresh in his mind. 'My thoughts have not been invaded by Voldemort for some time now sir, and that bothers me. Has he found a new way to get into my mind? It seems the only reasonable explanation for my actions today,' he tried to reason, still unsure of why he had acted so darkly.

Dumbledore gave a small nod in response, his blue eyes twinkling as brightly as ever.

'I'm afraid that is quite possible Harry, and if it is the case, I'm afraid Morganna will have to stop training you in Occlumency. It will not do to have her harmed by trying to help you block your mind. You can continue on your own for now, and I will see what I can find out for you.'

Harry nodded slowly, unpleased by this course of action, but at least relieved by the end of his Occlumency lessons, not that he would ever have gone again after today's performance. He stopped at the door before exiting the round office.

'Uh professor? What am I to do about Potions lessons? I think it would be an understatement to say that an apology just won't do.' He looked away from the Headmaster, feeling terribly ashamed for his actions, and still more ashamed for not wanting to apologise. Dumbledore smiled.

'It's no worry Harry. I will speak with Morganna, and explain what I can. In the mean time, I suggest you do some extra reading in the library and avoid the dungeons for the next little while.'

Harry gave him a weak smile before leaving the office and closing the heavy door behind him.

He wandered the halls of Hogwarts for the next little while, trying to clear his mind before the classes were let out for the day. He had never felt more troubled or more free before. It was as though every last bit of fear and doubt had fled his thoughts during his tirade with professor Sharpbane, leaving him with nothing but a clear mind and a sense of accomplishment. Everything he had been worrying about seemed to have vanished, and now he felt carefree and almost happy, but deep down he knew it was wrong. He wondered how long it would last, and then decided he did not care as long as it was happening right now.

At six o'clock he entered the Great Hall for dinner and pretended not to notice all of the faces studying him, and the whispers that travelled the room about what he had done not two hours before. Looking over at his table he found that Sirius and James were nowhere to be found, and hoped that professor Sharpbane had not taken his outburst out on them. Peter also seemed to be missing, but that did not bother him in the slightest. He casually made his way over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat across from Marc, who looked slightly bothered and definitely under the weather.

'What's going on Marc? Something troubling you?' he asked as he reached for something to fill his plate. A large platter of minced meat pies found its way into his hands.

'I was going to ask you the same thing,' Marc said quietly. 'Honestly Harry, calling your professor half-witted and biased and then telling her you'd rather kiss a dragon! That's not like you at all.'

'I said a blast-ended skrewt,' Harry corrected him and took a sip of his Pumpkin juice.

'Whatever, it doesn't matter what dangerous beast you used. The point is you could be expelled for something like that. Where would you go then?' Marc said this urgently and grabbed Harry's head to make him look at him. 'I'm serious Harry! Are you even listening?'

'Yes, I'm sorry alright. I'll try not to say anything nasty to any other professors.' Marc looked less than convinced. 'You don't understand Marc,' Harry lowered his voice as he tried to explain what had happened. 'I didn't yell at professor Sharpbane, as much as would like to have, I had no control over it. It just happened. I know it sounds crazy but I'm glad that it happened, because now I feel great. I think it's just what I needed.' Marc could tell that he did not even believe what he was saying.

'What do you mean?' Marc asked, trying to understand what could have caused such an outburst.

'Well, it just seems that since the beginning of the year, everything is just piling up and I just keep shifting it to the back of my mind. I've been doing that for nearly six years now. I guess I was just bound to snap eventually. And I'm certain that professor Black can be held accountable for at least half of what's been building up. I swear that compared to her and Sharpbane, Snape really is a harmless old git.'

Marc just stared at him for a moment, looking as though he could not decide what to say, and then he just nodded and started to pile food onto his plate as well.

Harry enjoyed the rest of dinner, watching all of the students around him chat excitedly about the upcoming Quidditch match, Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff this upcoming Saturday. It would be the second match of the year, and Harry supposed it would be fun to watch, even if he was not able to play.

He and Marc talked after dinner for a while about who they thought would win, but Marc had to leave quickly after telling Harry that he was going to be sick. Harry tried to go to the Hospital Wing with him, but the younger boy told him that he wished to be alone, and that Madam Pomfrey's coddling would be more than enough attention for one night.

Realising the time, Harry agreed and hurried to the Gryffindor dormitories to pack a quick overnight bag before slipping under his invisibility cloak and going back down to the common room. There he found a very ill-looking Remus waiting impatiently and constantly checking his watch before finally getting up with a defeated look on his face, and heading to the porthole. Harry followed him silently out and then waited until they were around a corner to call out his name.

'Moony,' he hissed loudly. The werewolf stopped abruptly and turned in the direction of where Harry stood concealed by the cloak.

Harry watched with amusement as the sandy-haired boy sniffed the air before smiling slightly.

'What are you hiding under that old thing for Prongs?' he asked and swatted out an arm toward the cloak, successfully reaching it and pulling it from Harry's form. His eyes widened slightly at seeing Harry and not James.

'What are you doing with James' cloak, and why are you wearing his robes again? I already told you I won't fall for that.' He said tiredly. 'I thought you weren't coming so I started to the shack on my own.'

'I'll explain in a minute,' Harry said, quickly giving him the second bottle of Wolfsbane to drink. 'Just drink that and follow me. We're going to stay somewhere a little nicer tonight. I don't know about you, but my back just can't take that floor for another night.'

Remus arched an eyebrow but drank the potion and did what he was told as Harry put the cloak back on and let his rucksack hang out so that he could still be followed. He led the light-haired boy up to the seventh floor and did not stop until he reached a blank portion of wall across from one of his favorite troll paintings. Remus said nothing the first three times Harry's rucksack seemingly floated back and forth in front of the stone wall, but was about to say something on its fourth flight before a polished brown door appeared out of nowhere.

Harry smiled at the look on his face. Apparently the Marauders had yet to find this special room. He turned the brass knob and pushed it forward, walking inside and removing his cloak while his friend followed him in. Once the door was securely closed and locked, Harry looked around the Room of Requirement and found that, as usual, it was set up for exactly what he needed.

Before the two boys was what could have been a cross between their common room and their dormitories, basically leaving a gold and crimson room with two four-posters and a fire-grate with a roaring fire crackling away in it. Harry walked over to the nearest bed and laid his bag down before walking over to the fire and sitting in one of the squashy armchairs in front of it. Remus still stood shocked in front of the locked door.

'You can come in you know. This is your bedroom for the night.' Harry said with a grin, loving this new shocked expression he was now constantly seeing on Remus' face. He would have to remember it in the future, as he would likely never see it again.

'What is this place?' the stunned werewolf asked as he walked into the room and took a seat in the armchair opposite Harry, still looking around at everything in the room.

'I call it the room of requirement and it is just that. This room will provide you with exactly whatever scene it is you need, when you need it most. I can't even tell you how invaluable it had been to me in my time. And you seem to like it then too.' He laughed when he saw the calculating look in Remus' eyes as he tried to figure out if he had just been told something significant.

'It's completely safe while you're taking the potion, and I think it's the only room in the whole castle where nobody's going to find you. I figured you might like to sleep on a soft bed near a warm fire for a change of pace. Even if it is only for two nights.'

'You just wanted to sleep in a warm bed,' Remus joked, but Harry could see the gratitude on his features.

Harry quickly explained to the boy about having inherited his father's cloak, and then mentioned the Marauders Map, getting a large grin from the light-haired boy in front of him.

'We've worked hard on that you know. I can't wait to add this room to it,' Remus said as he stared into the fire.

The pair talked about the upcoming Quidditch match and the latest curses they had been learning in Defense class for the next little while, but it was soon interrupted by Remus' transformation and Harry was forced to change into his Animagus form for precaution. After a couple of hours, Harry reverted to his human form and made sure that Remus was fast asleep on his bed before heading over to his own and crawling in. He had barely laid his head down when sleep overtook him, not able to wait to pull him into some new imaginative world of dreams.

Harry found himself strolling through Hogwarts castle, no direction or destination in mind. He passed by many of the portraits, waving and discussing this or that and then looked in on some of the classrooms. He found professor McGonagall teaching in her Charms classroom and then Hagrid teaching Transfiguration as he always did. Everyone seemed so happy as he walked along the corridors, whistling away as he went. Finally he reached the Divination tower and started to make his way up the old rung ladder, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ron and Hermione. 

Flipping the trapdoor open, he stepped in to find Marc and the rest of the Order listening attentively to the Divination lesson that professor Snape taught so well. He turned back to close the trapdoor before joining his friends and colleagues but stopped when he saw a shadow coming up the tower stairs.

His eyes widened as the ragged and bloodied form of his father came into view, all of his happiness instantly fleeing him. James staggered up to the rung ladder and started to pull himself up, reaching for a hand from Harry who frantically reached for him and pulled quickly, trying to avoid what he knew was coming.

For a brief moment he thought he might have been quick enough, but then he watched in horror as a clawed limb clasped around his fathers leg and pulled him downward, James' eyes widening in fear as he was pulled out of Harry's grasp. Everything had gone silent around him as he watched his father scream something, but Harry knew exactly what he was saying. He distinctly remembered having this dream before and knew that he had to close the trapdoor quickly before it was too late.

He whispered a quick tear-filled apology to his father before grabbing hold of the trapdoor and using all of his weight to slam it shut. It slammed shut with a hard thud to Harry's shoulder, but then unfortunately continued to swing downward, throwing Harry through the opening and down onto the stone floor below.

To Harry's misfortune, when he opened his eyes he did not see the divination tower, but a very familiar atrium lined in black marble and filled with dozens of robed figures.

Harry stood up quickly and leaned on a wall where he was covered in shadow. He started to beat himself on the forehead with the hopes of waking up, not wanting to live through another of Voldemort's Death Eater gatherings. He only managed to get a slight headache before the monster in question walked into the room, all of his followers falling to their knees in deep bows. Harry sneered.

'You will all be performing a specific task tonight,' the Dark lord's voice echoed loudly in the marble room, causing Harry to wince as he stepped closer to the ring of black clad figures. 'Things are going very well thus far, and I expect everything to continue this way. If anything or anyone disappoints me I'm certain that I do not need to tell you what the consequences would be.' Nobody spoke a word, the intense fear in the room almost visible.

'Now, before you leave me to perform your tasks we have something to take care of.' His lips curled upwards in a smirk, making Harry want to smack it off his face. 'Step forward,' he said coldly, and Harry watched as two short figures stepped toward him, both looking slightly hesitant. Harry realised they must have been the recruits asked of Malfoy during the last meeting.

'Lift your sleeves,' Riddle commanded. 'Prepare to devote your life to one master and no one else.'

Two pale arms were exposed from beneath folds of dark fabric, both ready to be marred by filth and pain. Riddle placed the tip of his wand on the first figure's forearm and whispered an incantation that Harry could not hear. The recipient of the curse let out a throat-tearing scream as he fell to his knees in pain, Riddle's wand still connected to his forearm. Finally the wand was lifted, and where it had touched the follower's skin a pitch black skull now lay, a serpent protruding from its mouth. The Dark Mark.

The other boy was subjected to the same pain and soon Riddle's ranks had swollen by two more Death Eaters. Sadly, Harry knew that there would be at least three more by Christmas time, making him once again wish that he could warn Snape and perhaps turn in Pettigrew. Riddle gave his orders to groups of his followers and each of them disapparated as soon as they could, clearly intent on escaping their master's presence. Finally it was down to three followers left, and Harry was quite certain as to who two of them would be.

Sure enough Harry heard Regulus Black's voice answer his master's commands before disapparating to bring pain and suffering to some poor ministry official. Next was Lucius Malfoy.

'I am growing impatient Mister Malfoy. I told you to have me all of my followers by the New Year and you have only delivered two of them,' Riddle's voice stated dangerously.

'Yes my Lord. But as you pointed out, I have until the end of December-'

'Do not tell me what I said,' Riddle's voice echoed in the hall as he lifted his wand to the blond-haired man. 'You do not tell me anything. Crucio!'

Malfoy's form writhed on the ground in pain, his screams filling the air as the Dark Lord stared amusedly at him. He ended the curse rather quickly, Harry noticed, and gave him a warning before dismissing him. Now there was one figure left.

'Now my dear, I assume that you have good news for me?' he said to the girl before him.

'Of course my Lord,' she bowed to him again. 'I shall be able to collect what you need in no time at all. I will have all the resources needed in but a week.'

'Very good. I knew you would be able to do this. Do not prove me wrong, for I am never wrong,' he said, and narrowed his eyes at the slight figure in front of him.

'No my Lord,' the girl's voice answered him. 'I will be in contact at the next week's end.' One final bow marked her stay as she quickly disapparated, leaving Riddle and his equal alone.

Harry merely stared at the man standing not ten feet in front of him. He felt a deep and irreversible loathing for him, but had no uncontrollable urge to cause him pain this time. He knew he was unable first of all, and then there was the fact that he had learned nothing infuriating during this dream. Instead he watched as the tall man walked to his large seat near a fireplace and took a seat.

Harry was not sure what to do. Why was his dream not ending? He found himself walking over to the high-backed chair to the fireplace, intent on seeing what it was that Riddle was doing. He stopped for a moment when he heard hissing and watched as a large snake slithered passed him and came to rest at its master's feet. Harry shivered at the thought of being that large snake in one of his dreams, and continued to where he could see the front of the armchair.

He heard Riddle once again speaking Parseltongue to his pet and was surprised to hear that he spoke to it as a person, telling her how incompetent he found most of his followers. Harry finally looked up at Tom Riddle and gasped when he saw the bright green eyes that stared back at him. He caught himself on the mantelpiece as he fell backward, and gaped at what he saw.

There in the high backed chair, lightly soothing a ten-foot serpent was a raven-haired man with bright green eyes, round glasses and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

'What's the problem Harry?' he heard his own voice call out from the person he was watching. 'Don't you like who we've become?'

The next morning when Remus awoke, he found Harry sitting in one of the armchairs near the fire. He went over to see if he was ready to go to class but found that Harry looked terrible, dark circles under his eyes, and an extremely distracted look on his face.

'Are you alright Harry?' he asked, already knowing that he was not, and knowing what response he would get.

'What? I mean yeah, I'm fine,' Harry answered when he realised he was being spoken too. 

Remus knew he was lying, having told his friends the same thing on numerous occasions, each time meaning that he wanted to be left alone. He decided that if Harry wanted to tell him anything, he would do it when he was ready.

'Alright, then let's go to breakfast.'

The pair collected their things and left the Room of Requirement, both checking the corridor for people before leaving. They walked to the Great Hall in silence, both satisfied with the quiet, and entered the hall for breakfast, each table already filled with students moving about and chatting about unfinished assignments and of course Quidditch. Only two more days until the match.

Harry took a seat across from Marc and the other Marauders and started to pile eggs onto his plate. He noticed that Marc was looking slightly better than yesterday, and was surprised that Madam Pomfrey had released him from her clutches so early. He also noticed that Dumbledore was gazing over at him and Remus knowingly, making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Why did the Headmaster always know everything?

The day sped by in a whirlwind of lectures and note taking, interrupted only by lunch and the constant questions from students asking Harry whether he had really told off the Potions Mistress or not. Harry was getting sick of being asked the same question, and was thoroughly annoyed when Sirius decided to hang a banner in the Gryffindor common room, labelling him as the bravest Gryffindor of the year. Of course it flashed between the words bravest and dumbest, but Harry knew to expect that.

Little of the information that he learned in class, or the conversations that he had in between them, stayed in his head as he was constantly toying with different theories of what his latest nightmare could possibly have meant. He had learned nothing new or informative for the Order, and he was certain that what he saw could not be the present, but what did that leave? The future?

He absolutely refused to believe that he could ever become something so terrible and inhumane, pushing the idea to the back of his mind, which had so conveniently been emptied the day before. He was just starting to wonder if perhaps Voldemort had found a way to penetrate his mind and feed him false information, when Lily brought him back to reality, pulling him out of his thoughts and pointing out to him that Transfiguration was over. She also expressed her feelings about his concentration in class; apparently McGonagall felt the same way as she gave him an extra essay to write on the specific technique to transfigure a pig into a rhinestone-studded goblet.

The pair walked down to the Great Hall together for dinner and Harry found that he was able to abandon all thoughts of his nightmares when he was around Lily. She was telling him stories of her, Sophie and Gwendolyn's adventures at Hogwarts up to now, and granted they were nothing in comparison to his own, he was thrilled to hear all about them.

Harry sat with her at the Gryffindor table and they were soon joined by Gwendolyn and Sophie, and then eventually the Marauders and of course the Prewett twins. For the first time in a few days, Harry shared some real laughs and exchanged stories with people that he considered friends, and everyone seemed to simply get along. It was an event, Harry decided, that was long overdue. Even Lily and James were civil to one another, either one only insulting the other once or twice throughout the whole meal, and James only asked her for a date three times.

Dumbledore stood as dinner came to a close and the entire hall fell silent, each student keen on hearing whatever message he had to deliver. Everyone waited patiently while he took a sip from his goblet before speaking.

'I am pleased to inform you all,' he began with a wide smile, 'that we will be having the Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge staying with us for the next week.'

Harry almost choked on a sip full of pumpkin juice at hearing the name, managing to spray Marc on the other side of the table. Marc gave him a panicked glance as the rest of the school turned their attention to the Great Hall's entrance doors where a squat man in lime green dress robes and a bowler hat stood.

'Undersecretary Fudge will be monitoring the visit from Durmstrang to ensure that our fine wizarding schools are compatible for all those students involved and to ensure that our guests feel welcomed by our Ministry. Please help me in welcoming him to our school.' The hall was then filled with applause as the forty-year-old, short man walked up to the staff table and took a new seat to Dumbledore's left.

Harry studied Fudge for a moment, wondering just how long it would be before the man before him became such an oblivious fool, but was distracted as the man made to pick up his goblet and it sprang to life. All of the students watched as the Undersecretary's goblet leapt into action and dove at the man's head, managing to attach itself by it's newly formed teeth to the brim of his bowler.

The entire student body could not help but laugh at the ridiculous sight of the Ministry official sitting there while his goblet gnawed contentedly on his hat. Laughter rang through the hall louder than Harry had heard in a long while, but died down suddenly when McGonagall got to her feet, a look on her face that would easily have repelled the Ridikulus charm.

She instantly looked over to the Gryffindor table and narrowed her eyes in James and Sirius' places.

'Misters Potter and Black, you will be serving another month's detention starting tomorrow!'

'WHAT!' James had leapt to his feet in outrage. 'But we haven't done anything!'

'Honest professor,' Sirius was now on his feet too, 'I wish we had, but we didn't so we had better not be punished for this. I don't mind detention if it's warranted, but this is just not fair!'

McGonagall was readying herself to reply when Dumbledore spoke again.

'I do believe that our young pranksters are telling the truth. I have never seen them deny performing a wonderful bout of magic in six years, even if it meant detention. Besides, if I remember correctly, we do not teach the animation charm until seventh year, and even then not many are able to perform it. Is that not correct professor?' he said in his always calm voice, making most of the students laugh quietly to themselves.

McGonagall seemed to think about it for a moment before her eyes widened and she moved her gaze up the Gryffindor table a little higher.

'Gideon and Fabian Prewett,' she shouted. 'How dare you make a mockery of this school in the presence of a Ministry official? You are seventh years and are supposed to set an example. Especially you Gideon, you are Head Boy. Your duties are-'

'I still do not believe you have the right culprits Minerva,' Dumbledore once again stopped his deputy Headmistress, only to have her turn to him speechless. She turned back to the crowd of students and scanned them before turning back to him at a loss. It appeared as though she could not single out anyone else who would or could do such a thing.

'Now, I do not believe this is any cause for alarm as no one was injured. Are you alright Undersecretary?'

'Yes, I do believe I will survive Dumbledore, however my hat is another story,' he said, pointing to his hat now on the table where it was still being gnawed on by his goblet, bits of drool now dripping from the table. Another spout of laughter filled the room. 'Besides, it shows that one of your students has quite a way with magic if they are able to perform an animation spell. Those are three difficult incantations to say in such a time frame. I would very much like to meet the student who is able.'

McGonagall's eyes widened in realisation as he said this, and Harry noticed the significant looks she shared with professors Flitwick and Sprout.

'Very well Cornelius. I'm sure they would not mind,' the Headmaster said with a small smile. 'Ladies, if you please?'

Harry watched in confusion as three girls stood up from their tables, each from a different house. The first from Hufflepuff, her blonde hair pulled under a frilly hat as she made her way to the front of the room. The second from the Ravenclaw table, her blonde hair pulled back tightly in a bun and her wand held securely behind her ear. Finally the third stood up from the end of Gryffindor table, her hair held loosely atop her head by an elastic band.

Once all three were standing in front of the staff table, the one from the Ravenclaw table pulled her wand from behind her ear and gave it a quick wave, saying 'trio aperecium,' and Harry watched in astonishment as all three girls hair fell about their shoulders in wavy blonde locks and their uniforms all became matching emerald dress robes. At the same time they all flicked their wands toward the Undersecretary's hat, releasing the goblet and repairing the damage.

'Our apologies Undersecretary,' the Hufflepuff girl said.

'Please forgive us Undersecretary,' the Gryffindor said.

'Welcome to Hogwarts Undersecretary,' the Ravenclaw said.

All three girls bowed their heads with sweet smiles and gave small curtsy's before looking back up at Fudge. The future Minister for Magic looked at them for a moment before smiling broadly and then clapping his hands together loudly. 'Bravo girls, bravo! I'll bet we could have a place for the lot of you in the Ministry one day,' he said and watched as the girls smiled at him again.

'Undersecretary,' Dumbledore said with a smile, 'Meet Phyllis, Violet, and Ivy Divine, Hogwarts' resident triplets and seers.'

'Seers?' Fudge said, now looking far more pleased than before. 'Well girls, I can certainly assure you that there will be a place in the Ministry for you upon graduation. And please call me Mister Fudge.'

'Thank you, Mister Fudge. You will find yourself very pleased with work shortly.'

'Pleasure, Mister Fudge. You shall certainly enjoy the development of Ministry Departments in the future.'

'Glad to meet you Mister Fudge. I excitedly wait for the day you become Minister.'

The students all began to laugh again as the girls all bowed once more before receiving a wink from the Headmaster and returning toward their tables. Fudge seemed to enjoy the show they put on and obviously took what they said as a joke and nothing more than a spectacle. Harry on the other hand knew that at least one of those comments would hold true, and Dumbledore certainly seemed to be enjoying the whole affair as he quickly winked at Harry.

Violet the Ravenclaw stopped halfway to her seat to give the undersecretary one last message. 'Oh, Mister Fudge? Do watch your step tonight. Things are always amiss under the blue moon.'

As soon as this was said a mad whisper ran through the hall and Harry watched as the colour in Fudge's face slowly drained. Students started to file out of the hall as dinner was now over, but Harry continued to watch Fudge, unsure of what violet's message could have meant. It appeared from his reaction that the undersecretary knew exactly what it meant.

Harry was pulled up from his seat by James and Sirius, both boys keen on planning a new set of pranks for the next night. Tonight was to be their last night of detention, and then it was back to the drawing board and then the corridors of Hogwarts. Harry turned to get Marc but found that he was speaking with the Headmaster, and assumed that he was finding out if he was any closer to getting them home.

Harry walked with the Marauders back to the common room, James, Sirius and Peter laughing about some new prank they had devised, while Remus looked highly disturbed and on edge. Sure he would soon be undergoing the werewolf transformation, but he looked far more harassed than usual.

'I forgot my books in the Great Hall,' Harry called to the planning Marauders. 'Would you mind helping me to get them Remus?'

'Yeah, no problem. We'll see you later on then,' he called after the others and got a wave as they continued, all of them too busy to pay much attention. As soon as they were out of earshot he turned back to Harry.

'You can't stay with me tonight. It won't be safe. And I'm not going to take the potion.'

'What?' Harry asked, not understanding why he would give up his sanity so easily.

'I can't explain it right now, but you have to trust me. Just let me spend the night alone in the shrieking shack and I'm sure everything will turn out just fine,' he said in a strained voice, the onset of pain just reaching him.

'Does this have anything to do with Violet's warning for Fudge?' Harry asked quickly and watched as the werewolf's eyes flashed in surprise for half an instant.

'No, of course not,' he responded far too quickly. 'I just have a feeling is all. I need to have a normal transformation tonight, and for that I need to be alone.'

Harry was far from convinced that he was telling the truth, but decided that there was little point in arguing and simply nodded his agreement. Remus thanked him quickly before telling him that he would see him in the morning and heading toward the entrance hall once more.

Three hours later, Harry was still wandering around the corridors for what felt like the hundredth time in the last week, feeling more confused and bothered than he had in weeks. Things were starting to become slightly complicated in this time, and he was really missing Hermione's intellect and Ron's support. He found himself hoping for a moment that Dumbledore could get them home today.

Harry continued to wander Hogwarts' halls, unsure of what to do, as all of his friends were either in detention or becoming monsters. Perhaps he would run into Marc along his travels. He made his way up to the owlery and looked around the large space for a while before realising that he had no owl and absolutely no one to write to. This reminded him of everything he had left behind, good and bad alike. Sure he had to face Voldemort in his own time, but there were so many other things and people that made an effort to outweigh the bad.

His thoughts turned to Fleur and he smiled as he pictured her face, her silvery blue eyes sparkling with mystery as she gazed upon him. That perfect smile she had when he approached her warmed him through, and then there was that thing she did with her Veela charm. He was not deeply affected by it for some reason, but whenever she was happy Harry felt an electric charge run through him, making every moment with her one of his favorites.

He wondered what she would have done when she learned he was missing. Would she have been devastated, or would she have simply moved on? Perhaps back to her former beau Bill Weasley? Harry tried not to think about it while he gazed out onto the grounds below, every blade of grass shining brilliantly under the full moon.

Harry looked up toward the sky and his eyes widened in wonder at what he saw. The moon looked twice its regular size from where it hung in the inky sky, and tonight for some reason it shone the saddest shade of blue he had ever seen. While beautiful the sight, Harry's heart filled with sorrow as he stared up at the sun's partner, every feeling of loneliness he felt being reinforced as a tortured howl rose from the distance.

He gripped the window's edge and listened for the next little while to the haunting sounds of his friends howls, each one slightly different and yet each carrying the same painful message.

He finally said goodbye to the night sky and turned to head back to his common room, figuring he could catch up with Marc and possibly talk about researching time travel for a way home. He was ready to go home now, and he refused to let anyone tell him he could not.

Harry was walking down the fifth floor corridor when he ran into somebody that he had forgotten about. Lily saw him wandering and made her way over to him, a wide smile on her face as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and waved.

'Hello Harry. What are you doing wandering about at this time of night?' she asked, just making conversation and not really concerned about why he was out passed curfew.

'Just thinking. What might you be doing out of bed?' he flipped it on her and raised an eyebrow, happy to see the affronted look on her face.

'In case you've forgotten Mister Portus,' she said in her best authoritative voice, 'I am a prefect. Don't make me take away points from my own house.'

They both laughed out loud at this.

'I'm actually just headed back to the common room. Care to join me, or do you still have a covert mission to carry out? Perhaps something that needs to be done in the dungeons?' she asked, her tone now slightly amused.

'Definitely not!' Harry assured her. 'Sirius and James might like a months detention, but I know when I'm beat.'

'Good,' she responded, 'Then let's go talk in the common room. I'm sick of wandering these halls. Nothing exciting ever happens worth reporting and I would much rather spend my evening somewhere warm.'

'Agreed,' Harry said with a smile and the pair headed down toward the third floor and the painting of the fat lady.

Harry was still slightly bothered by all of his thoughts, but that was quickly put on hold as they walked down the third floor corridor and the statue of the humpbacked witch slid forward emitting a frantic James and Sirius.


	20. The Blue Moon Curse

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A/N: Hello to everyone! Here's the next chapter for you and I hope you all enjoy it. Harry's time in the past is coming to a close shortly and as promised I've answered as many reviews as was possible. Take care everyone and I hope to hear from you all again soon. Kyle : D**

HandsOff: Hey! Remus sure is a smarty pants and I like that he and Harry have some sort of relationship. Harry's all the wolfboy's got left after all : ( Hope you enjoy this one and let me know once you've read it ; D Catch ya later, Kyle

Nightwing509: Hello! I thought I'd make Remus' suffering slightly less for a little while, and with Harry's work I did just that : D LOL, I also laughed when I blamed the Marauders for the Divine's prank. Glad it had the desired effect. Take care now. : D Kyle

SlytherinFan15: Thanks! I'm feeling much better now : D I agree that Sharpbane would have some Idea of who he was, but then again she does work for Dumbledore and that is enough said, lol. I read your latest chapter and must say it was great. Any idea when the next'll be up? Gah school is torture, lol. Take it easy and hopefully we'll have chapters to exchange soon enough ; D Kyle

Susan Potter: YOU'LL GET IT! LOL! KYLE : D

Babebunny: Thank you so much. It's my way of relaxing and completely ignoring school, so I try: D

Totallystrange: Phew! Have to say it's fortunate, lol. While I enjoy being able to correct things in my story, I can only take so much before it becomes quite disheartening to see all of your errors. Oh well, I'll just have to stop making them ; D

Queen-of-mokey-magic: What a wonderful reviewer! LOL Thanks so much for continuing to review. You're awesome! Kyle : D

BabiesAreYummy: HAHAHA! I always laugh my butt off when I read your reviews. They completely make my day: D I'm afraid it's true. The doctors have now eliminated babies from my diet ( though I have a sneaking suspicion that a toe here and there would not throw me completely off the wagon ; D)

Draghknar: I love the novel length fics as well. I intend to end this one around chapter 30-33ish, so there's still a bit to go! Take care : D

Rivenn: Oh no! No aneurism plese! I don't want to lose a reviewer, lol. Thanks for enjoying the cliffie, there will be more (that is if you enjoyed it, lol) Oooh questions! 1) They are both heirs but Harry is the active one. I like the idea you suggested but that is not the reason for Harry to kill him. It may be Voldemort's reason for eliminating Harry though ; D Shhhh! Lol 2)I suppose Harry could prank Sharpbane in her sleep, but given the chance would you mess with that woman on her own turf? I wouldn't, lol. 3)The Time Turner did not melt as a result of time travel but rather a mixing of the Portkey magic as well. Sorry if it wasn't clear, I could fix that up a bit : D I like the Trelawney idea but I've already got the next ten chaps written and I've unfortunately done something else. Ahh, you are a clever reader! Gues you'll have to wait and find out what dreams may bring : D Kyle

Captain J737: Hey! Yuppers, that was what I was trying to convey. Lupin is a smarty pants and he definitely figured out where he knew those eyes from. I've actually given him a nickname in chapter 20something, though I'm not so sure I like it. It may be changed by the time you lot read it, lol.

BellachaosL Hello! Glad you're liking it, and I'm happy to announce that his days in the past are coming to a close. Take care and I hope to hear from you again: D

Devillove101894: Thanks. I like to think so, lol. Oh so modest ; D

Helloshanti2: Hello! I'm glad that you've enjoyed the story. As for his owls, I may later decrease the number of owls slightly, but I have absolutely no intention of lowering any of them. There is no way he would only get an acceptable in Potions, as Rowling has also said that he is quite proficient in the subject when Snape is not present, and he was not during the exam. Besides, he'll need at least EE to have McGonagall twist Snape's arm next year and let him in. Take care, Kyle : D

BlueSkywalker: Alright : D Sounds good to me!

SunDust 25688: I hope I update before you go crazy! I don't want to lose you, lol. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please allow it to maintain your sanity until the next posting. : D Take it easy, Kyle.

EnderWig: Hello! Thanks for the great compliment. I hope this is soon enough, but if not I'll try to be a bit quicker on the next one. : D

SpaceD; You're awesome! I love that you thought that out and came up with a pretty plausible solution : D Congrats to you, however I can neither confirm nor deny your assumption, LOL! Sorry. Take care and I hope to hear from you again. Kyle : D

Truffletruffle01: mUAHAHHA I adore the cliffhanger! It is among my favourite literary inventions : D Hope you like this chapter; no cliffie I promise. : D

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Chapter 20: The Blue Moon Curse

'What are you doing? RUN!' James' sixteen year old voice echoed loudly as he and Sirius lunged out of the narrow passage way each grabbing hold of the people in front of them to drag them along.

'He's already got Peter!' Sirius added as they turned a corner and started to run up the fourth floor staircase.

Harry's mind was reeling as he was pulled along the corridors, this time around, quite certain of what it was they were being chased by. He could not believe that this was happening to him. All the dreams he had been having about the clawed limbs and of his mother being chased were actually coming true, and now he would have to live through it with her.

'What is going on,' Lily screamed, clearly frightened but also quite angry at being dragged along the corridors by a frantic James Potter. She was met with silence and Harry noticed the significant looks exchanged between James and Sirius. Lily stopped running and crossed her arms over her chest.

'I'll explain later,' Harry huffed loudly, getting a shocked look from the two boys, but a satisfied look from Lily before she started to run again, this time right along side her son.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Harry remembered a little too late how Sirius had been taken, and turned just in time to watch him trip and fall spectacularly. Now he and Lily both ran toward his fallen figure on the ground, both shouting out to see if he was alright. Just as they were about to reach him James grabbed both their robes and turned them back the other way.

'No, you go. I'll help him. Don't look back whatever you do! I'll meet the both of you at the divination tower.'

Lily started to run but stopped when she saw that Harry was not following her. He refused to leave his father behind again. He could not just leave them both behind to be mauled or worse by the creature that was hunting them down one by one.

'Harry go!' James shouted now. 'Make sure Lily is safe!' he cried, and Harry could see the pleading look in his eyes as he knelt to pick up his injured best friend.

Harry had to decide quickly so he nodded and grabbed Lily's sleeve before the pair started to run in the direction of the Divination tower. Harry was still not sure exactly what the purpose of the dreams were, but if he was unable to help his father and Godfather, there was going to be nothing to stop him saving his mother.

The frantic teenagers turned the last corner before reaching the winding stairs to the top of the Divination tower. Harry knew what was coming and tried to will his hearing to leave him for a while, his heart hoping that things would turn out different this time, but his mind telling him that they would not. Moments later Sirius's ear-splitting cry of pain tore through the air, making Harry cringe and shudder with fear.

He remembered wondering what had been chasing the Marauders, but after Violet Divine's comment that evening, he felt quite sure of what, or better yet who it was. He once again glanced into one of the classrooms they passed, this time not seeing only his mother's reflection but his as well. Up ahead was the old rope ladder, and Harry watched as Lily hoisted herself up and into the classroom above before he quickly climbed up and joined her.

He quickly turned back to the opening, knowing what he would see and preparing himself to get James up and into the classroom as quickly as possible. A shadow began to creep up the wall and James' ragged form turned the last bend, coming quickly to the base of the ladder, his robes torn and bloodied. There was a large gash on his left cheek and tears were flowing openly down his face now.

'He got Sirius,' he said barely audibly, before reaching a hand up to the rungs and pulling himself up.

Harry had wasted no time at all, stretching down through the trapdoor and grabbing both of his father's wrists. He started to pull upwards with a grunt when Lily reached down as well, adding her efforts to the heavy haul. James was halfway through the trapdoor and nearly safe when he was suddenly pulled back downward, both of his arms grasping the edges of the floor. Harry held on tightly, hugging James so that he could not fit back through the opening.

James screamed louder than ever before, his fingers, digging in to the back of Harry's back and pulling a shout of pain from him as well. Harry looked down passed James' shoulder in time to see a large, dark werewolf remove its teeth from his father's leg before looking up and sinking them in slightly harder. James screamed again, this time releasing Harry and dropping to the top most rung of the ladder, the werewolf still biting into him.

Harry quickly dropped onto his back and lowered himself into the trapdoor with his father, raising his right leg and letting his foot drop hard onto the beast's snout with a shout that had both Lily and James stare up at him in surprise, Lily giving a small scream.

'Remus! You get away from him!' This was followed by another drop of his leg, this time connecting with the side of the werewolf's head, causing it to fall backwards with a small whimper, but bring James with it. The two fell the fifteen feet to the stone floor and landed in a heap, thankfully with James landing on top.

The werewolf lay motionless for a moment, but as James started to right himself and reach up for the ladder once more, it sprang back up and grabbed for his injured leg. It was not going to give up. Harry leaned forward to reach out his hand again, but found that he was cut off by Lily doing the same.

'James just reach a little higher,' she shouted at him, tears now forming in her eyes as she watched the large wolf claw away at James' legs.

'I can't,' James said through pained grunts, and Harry could hear the defeat in his voice. 'You have to close the trapdoor. He won't stop until he gets you both,' he shouted, and Harry knew that they had lost.

'No! Just reach James. Don't give up you arrogant martyr,' her tears were now streaming down her face liberally and Harry tried to blink back his own. James gave one final burst of strength and grabbed Lily's hand, his pain-filled gaze locked with her own.

'Lock the trapdoor; don't let him get you too! I love you Lily!'

With that, he let go of her hand and was pulled away from the ladder, deafening screams rising to Harry's ears as the werewolf pounced right on top of the hazel-eyed boy. Harry tried to close the trapdoor, but he had to struggle to pull Lily back first, gaining several new scratches to the back of his hands and neck. Finally he slammed the trapdoor tightly and threw the iron latch across it before turning to look at his mother.

'What are you doing!' she screeched, anger and hurt covering her face. 'We can still help him!'

'We can't and you know it,' Harry told her as he tried to keep his tears from falling. His frustration was building and he felt he could probably fight Remus on his own if he tried to attack Lily.

James' screams continued for another minute before it became silent save for Lily's wail as she dropped to her knees defeated.

'No!' Harry screamed as he leaned with his back on the wall and slammed his fists on the floor.

Lily continued to sob uncontrollably while Harry's mind raced, thoughts of all the pain he had just caused swimming in his head. He had known that this would happen, down to the last detail, and still he was unable to change a thing.

BANG!

The latch on the trapdoor rattled and Harry scurried over to a terrified Lily, reaching out to grab her hand consolingly, even though he knew that any moment their deadly friend would burst through the trapdoor and kill them.

BANG!

Lily suddenly got to her feet and started to look around the room frantically, searching for anything that might aid them against their friend. Harry watched her pull out her wand and he too did the same, hoping that perhaps with the both of them they stood a chance. If only it had been Remus in his human form, Harry knew that he could fight him off; in his werewolf form it was a different story. After all, it took two large animals to keep him in check every full moon.

Harry's eyes widened as he thought of something.

'Lily, are you familiar with the homorphus charm?' he shouted and watched as her eyes widened in understanding and she nodded. 'When he gets in, I'll distract him and keep him back while you cast it.'

'Harry, you won't be able to sto-' she started to object but was cut off as the trapdoor flew off of its hinges and clawed arms reached up through the opening. Harry watched as the werewolf looked directly at Lily before lowering itself and preparing to attack. Just as it did, Lily let out a scream as Harry leapt into the air, eyes closed and body changing, before colliding head on with the beast and landing hard on his hooves next to it.

The werewolf crashed through a cart of crystal balls, littering the floor with shards of broken glass, and let out an angry growl before getting back on its hind legs and attacking the creature in front of it. Harry reared up and connected a heavy hoof with the wolf's head, knocking it away and causing a loud howl to fill the room. He turned to see Lily still staring in shock on the other side of the room, so he neighed shaking her back into action.

The moment's distraction allowed Harry to be caught off guard and the werewolf leapt onto his back digging its claws deep into his sides before finally sinking its teeth into his shoulder. He heard Lily shout the charm's incantation and felt the werewolf fly off of him and heard the thud of it landing somewhere behind him. He felt immeasurable pain radiate through his body as he felt himself slowly reverting to his human form, and let out an inhumanly scream as he dropped to the floor in agony.

Lily rushed over to him and he smiled up at her reassuringly, though the little light in the room began to fade. He heard her telling him that everything would be alright and not to worry. They were safe now. Harry could feel the blood gushing from his shoulder and let out another scream when Lily ripped off her sleeve and pressed it down hard on his wound.

Lily grabbed his hand and had him hold the makeshift bandage on the wound firmly, telling hi that she would have to go and get help.

'Is Remus alright?' Harry gasped, trying to turn and see but winced in pain and his eyelids started to droop close.

'It's not Remus Harry,' he heard Lily say and he was sure that she had made a mistake. 'Look.'

She helped to hoist him up and Harry promptly lost consciousness at seeing the prone figure of Cornelius Fudge ten feet away.

Harry opened his eyes to an entirely different scene than the dark musty Divination tower. Instead of frilly scarves and poufs, Harry was now surrounded by plain white walls and a sterile smell that made him wish for the overpowering scent of professor Trelawney's herbs.

He blinked a few times to allow his eyes to adjust to the brightness of the room before reaching to the bedside table, where he knew he would find his glasses, and put them on to clear the blind haze. As he looked around the room, every thought that had run through his mind the night before, plunged to the fore of his mind and Harry began to panic.

He had seen Cornelius Fudge unconscious on the ground, dressed in tattered robes and obviously having just been reverted from his werewolf state. How could Fudge have been a werewolf? There was no way a werewolf would ever be made Minister for Magic; the trust was just not there. And what had become of Remus then? Had he spent the entire night in the Shrieking Shack unaffected by the havoc that had reached the castle walls?

More and more questions filled his mind as he scanned the room and his eyes fell upon each of the other five bodies occupying the beds around him. Directly across from him was Lily, and in the beds on either side of her were Fudge and Pettigrew. To either side of him were James and Sirius, both heavily bandaged but awake, neither one speaking; just simply laying there quietly. Harry felt a load of relief flood his body at seeing they were alright, but still worried that they were so terribly injured by such a powerful creature.

As he made to sit up, a pain like no other he had felt before tore through his shoulder, reminding him that he too had been bitten by the beast. His eyes widened suddenly and he threw a hand up to his shoulder, realising exactly what it meant to be bitten by a werewolf. Now he and the Marauders would have more than one thing in common.

He felt all of his dreams of becoming an Auror slip away with all the other thoughts of a remotely normal life and he tried to think of what he would do now. Perhaps all was not lost, as Remus had been a werewolf for most of his life and although he looked ragged around the edges, he still seemed to do alright. Perhaps, he suddenly thought, he would not have to tell the Ministry when he got home, keeping it a secret so that he could have a relatively normal career and family?

Then again it was the Minister who had bitten him, so maybe not. Well, at least Dumbledore would still trust him, and perhaps he could come and teach at Hogwarts. There would always be a need for a Defense professor, he laughed to himself, getting the attention of the others in the room.

'Harry!' Lily shouted, and bounded out of her bed and over to sit on the edge of his. 'How are you? Are you feeling alright?' Her eyes searched his naked upper body for any other damage and they lingered on his sternum for a moment before they fell on his face again.

'I've been better,' he answered her with a laugh, and both James and Sirius laughed as well. Peter seemed to be ignoring them all determinedly, while Fudge still looked quite ill and simply rested his head on his pillow with his eyes closed. Harry got the impression he was listening though.

'How are you two doing?' Harry asked of his Father and Sirius, turning to look at their multiple wounds, feeling even worse now for not having prevented the whole ordeal. Because of him they would all be werewolves.

'I'm doing just great!' James said enthusiastically with a grin plastered on his face, and Harry could not tell if he was simply putting on a show, or being an idiot, or possibly both.

'Yeah me too,' Sirius agreed, 'although every inch of my body feels on fire. I'm sure that's normal though.'

Everyone stared at him for a moment before laughing. Madam Pomfrey rushed over to shush everyone and made Lily get back into her own bed, warranting a very nasty look from the red-haired witch and making everyone laugh even harder.

They all talked for the next little while, Peter now pretending to sleep while the other four let him be. Harry noticed a certain awkwardness between James and Lily, his mother never meeting his father's eyes directly when they spoke. They discussed many things as though they had not been hunted down savagely the night before, and not one of them mentioned their new conditions, perhaps hoping that if they did not, it would not hold true.

After another hour or so of idle talk and putting up with Madam Pomfrey's nasty potions, they were all very relieved to see the bright purple hems of the Headmasters robes sweep through the door.

'Poppy, may I have a little time alone with your patients please?' he asked politely, and received an indignant huff from the Hogwarts medi-witch before she stomped into her office.

Dumbledore turned toward the group of students, each of them now sitting up and staring at him attentively, obviously wanting to know exactly how the previous evening's events had come to pass. The old wizard took a deep breath and seated himself at the foot of Peter's bed so to see everyone clearly before beginning.

'First of all, I am glad to see that all of you are recovering nicely, and I must apologise for the terrible incident last evening. It is something that has never occurred in these walls before, and measures will be taken so that they never happen again. Luckily, there were no fatalities and it appears that no long term damage has been caused.'

Harry looked over to James and Sirius and found that they were nodding along with the Headmaster, confusing him terribly and making him interrupt him at that point.

'What do you mean no long term damage? I'm not sure about all of you, but the idea of being a werewolf does sort of put a dampener on my future. I would definitely call it damage. Big damage!' he said, holding his hands out at arm length to further his point.

Sirius, James, Lily, and Peter all laughed at this and the Headmaster smiled softly, helping to make him think that they were all suffering from some sort of trauma, possibly brain damage. Even Fudge had a small smile on his face now, although it did not travel to his eyes, the dark spheres looking haunted as they stared over in his direction.

'Since you have such great plans for your future Mister Portus,' the Headmaster continued, 'I'm happy to inform you that neither you nor your friends will grow hair or fangs during the next full moon.'

Harry did not understand, so he simply stared at the Headmaster and waited for the long explanation that he knew would soon come, once again showing how lucky he was when it came to exceptions.

'It's the curse mate,' James' voice told him as though it were common knowledge.

'Yeah, and it's a darn good thing, because I don't fancy cancelling dates three times a month,' Sirius added with a grin, 'That would set me back, what, 36 girls a year?'

'Pig!' Lily shouted at him and he pulled a face at her while the Headmaster simply watched in amusement.

'What curse professor?' Harry asked, ignoring his friends and wanting to know exactly what had spared his future.

'The curse of the blue moon Harry,' he answered simply. 'As I'm sure you noticed yesterday, the moon was not its ordinary self. Once every fifty years the moon is double its size and shines a brilliant shade of blue, making for a very beautiful sight but not such a beautiful effect on our werewolf friends.'

'Is that why I could hear Remus howling all the way from the Shrieking Shack last night?' Harry asked.

'Yes. Unfortunately, the blue moon intensifies the werewolf transformation, making it that much more painful and making the bearer of the wolf curse that much more deadly.' His gaze now turned to Fudge, who looked suddenly depressed and looked up at Harry.

'I must apologise to you Mister Portus and to all of you again. If I had not been stopped I'm not sure what might have happened.'

'It's alright Mister Fudge,' Harry told him, feeling a slight bit of sympathy, but not much, for the man now that he knew he suffered the way that Remus did. 'If you don't mind me asking, how long has it been since you were bitten?'

Fudge's eyes darted to the Headmaster before they turned back to Harry and he sighed. 'About sixteen hours.'

Harry's eyes widened. 'What? How can that be? Who bit you?' he asked, now understanding the sadness in the Undersecretary's eyes, but confused as to why he would be a werewolf and not the rest of them.

'Me,' came a voice from the door, and they all turned to see Remus standing in the doorway, his robes bloodied and torn, and a look of disgust on his face like Harry had never seen before. 'I did it!' he said, and walked over to a bed next to the Headmaster. 'I didn't mean to sir, I swear it. I don't even know how I got out of the Shack. I just woke up in the Forbidden Forest. It's never happened before. I am so sorry Undersecretary, please forgive me.

Harry could see the tears forming in his eyes as he refused to look at any of their faces.

Dumbledore got to his feet and made Remus get into the bed next to Sirius.

'Don't blame yourself Mister Lupin,' Fudge said to him now, 'It was completely my fault, as I am the one who foolishly came to find you in the Shrieking Shack, and I am the one who left the front door open after you bit me. If I had simply trusted the Headmaster's word that you were well contained and not a danger, this entire situation would have been avoided.'

'I'm afraid I still don't understand what happened,' Harry said, turning slightly red at being the only one who seemed lost in the room.

'You see Harry,' Dumbledore started to explain, 'After Miss Divine's warning last evening, Cornelius understood that there was a werewolf in our school and promptly approached me about it after dinner. I simply explained Remus' situation and he agreed with me that the boy could stay at Hogwarts but that he would need to be registered at the Ministry for everyone's safety.' Remus' head dropped lower in misery at the mention of being registered.

'Unfortunately, I was foolish enough to not take Dumbledore at his word,' Fudge continued for him, 'and I walked to the Shrieking Shack to check for myself. Upon entering the Shack I was met with a sight I was not prepared for. I'm afraid you know how the rest happened,' he said sadly and looked back to Remus, who was still looking down at the ground in what looked like shame.

'But werewolf bites don't affect the recipient until the next full moon. How did you transform so quickly?' Harry asked, wondering why he was still the only confused person in the room.

'The curse Harry,' Dumbledore said seriously. 'Under the blue moon the balance of the werewolf curse is shifted, much like the size of the moon. Normally any person bitten is affected at the next full moon, where they are forced to transform and can then bite others and continue the cycle. Under the blue moon, any person bitten transforms almost immediately, but whoever they bite remains unaffected. It's the small but very fortunate trade off for the immediate transformation.'

'Basically Mister Portus,' Fudge said, 'I am the one who will pay for my mistake, not you.'

'I'm really sorry Mister Fudge. I do hope things work out for you when you return to the Ministry,' Harry said, unsure of how to console a new werewolf. It appeared this was not the right thing to say.

'Thank you Portus, but I'm afraid as soon as I'm registered as a werewolf I will be let go as Undersecretary, and I'm not certain what I will do after that. Half-humans are not allowed in the Ministry. It has been a law for many years, and I'm afraid it shall continue that way for some time,' Fudge said darkly as he looked around the room.

Harry thought for a moment before commenting again.

'I'm sure you don't want to hear this sir, but although you may have misinterpreted Violet Divine's message to you, you have yet to think of her sisters'.' Fudge's eyes widened at hearing this and Harry could see his face brighten significantly. 'Perhaps sir, you were meant to become a half-human so that you could go back to the Ministry and improve the laws concerning them. After all, Violet's other message did seem promising,' he added with a knowing smile, but let it drop when he saw the look Dumbledore was giving him.

'That does sound nice Portus,' Fudge said with a small smile, 'but I'm afraid the Ministry will still not keep on a werewolf.'

'Then what say we not tell them?' Harry offered, and watched as every head but the Headmaster's snapped toward him. He began to get hot around the collar, but knew that if his plan worked he might be able to help a couple of people in the process.

'Are you mad?' Fudge said to him, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. 'I cannot lie to the Ministry. There are five witnesses here who can attest to the fact that I am a werewolf.'

'Actually Cornelius,' Dumbledore said in his calm voice. 'I cannot say for certain what you are. After all the effects of the blue moon are tricky at best, and from what I saw, you were simply affected for an evening, same as the others in this room.'

Fudge gave the Headmaster a long hard stare before turning to each of the others in the room and receiving an equal nod from each of them until he reached Harry.

'It's true sir. All I know is that every person in this room was affected by the blue moon, and that none of us need to be mentioned in the Ministry's Registry. Isn't that right Remus?'

Remus's head turned toward Harry, and he could see that the sandy-haired boy could not believe what he was doing. Harry could hardly believe it either, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and if a little black-mail was what it would take to help his friend, then it was what he would do. Fudge looked at him in understanding and finally nodded.

'Very good. I'm glad that we are all safe and sound and that we are all perfectly human, every last one of us.' He looked up to Dumbledore who smiled and nodded as well. 'Well if that's all, I'm afraid I'll have to be going home for a couple of days Dumbledore. I will return in time to see the arrivals from Durmstrang. If you could just have Poppy collect any medical files I may need to bring with me,' he paused to clear his throat, 'you now, for a private healer of course.'

'Of course,' Dumbledore said, the edge of his mouth threatening to go up. 'I'll have them sent to your quarters Cornelius.'

That said, Fudge got up from his bed and reached for the lime green bowler on the nightstand next to him. Placing it on his head, and effectively making him look ridiculous in his dressing gown, he gave a small nod to them all and left the hospital wing. Dumbledore also gave them all a last smile before excusing himself and heading into Madam Pomfrey's office to collect the necessary documents for the Undersecretary.

'Are you mad?' Remus hissed at Harry, the instant Dumbledore had closed Pomfrey's office door.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked innocently, acting as though he did not understand.

'You just blackmailed the Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic!' Lily said, also staring at him as though he had grown another head.

'I think its bloody brilliant!' Sirius said from his bed, and Harry snickered as Lily and Remus both glared at him.

'I'm not sure what you're going on about,' Harry said with a raised eyebrow. 'I simply pointed out that we all fit into the same category of illness, and that since we seem to be healthy, there was really no need to carry on about it. I did nothing worse than that,' he said with a small smirk.

'Actually,' James said with a mock-pained expression, 'you did kick him in the head last night. Twice.'

At this all five of the students started to laugh hysterically, but no one louder than Harry. He would from this day forward be content in knowing that he had successfully kicked the Minister for Magic in the head twice and gotten away without punishment.

'Harry?' James asked once the laughter died down and they were all able to speak again. 'I'm glad that you were there to help us, but I've been wondering about something. When you kicked the undersecretary in the head to try and save me, you screamed for Remus to let go of me. Why would you assume that Remus was a werewolf?'

Harry stiffened slightly as he did not have an answer for this question, but was luckily saved by Remus answering for him.

'I told him.'

'What?' both James and Sirius asked at the same time. 'Why? When?'

'When the two of you got yourselves in detention for a month and couldn't keep me company, Harry approached me and, well, he guessed,' Remus lied. 'I suppose I could have denied it, but I figured it wouldn't hurt and I wasn't feeling all too well so I just told him.'

'Oh,' James said with a bemused look on his face. 'That's alright then. It looks like you're on your way to being one of the Marauders Harry,' he added and got a cheer from Sirius and a thumbs-up from Remus. Peter, Harry noticed, smiled but said nothing at all.

'Hmm, hmm' Lily cleared her throat forcefully and had them all turn to her. Her face was now set in a stern expression and she did not look pleased.

'Oh, sorry Lily, but the Marauders only let boys into the group.' James said, and looked away awkwardly.

'Yeah,' Sirius added, 'that way when you and I break up after our date in a few months, there won't be any hard feelings.'

'In your dreams,' both Lily and James said at the same time, making both of them blush slightly and Harry and Remus laugh at the dejected look on Sirius' face.

At that point the group was interrupted by a tall blonde girl walking through the door with a card and a bunch of flowers in her hand. Harry recognized her as the Hufflepuff girl that had been constantly harassing Marc.

'That's really sweet Sheena, but you didn't have to bring me flowers,' Sirius called out, making the girl stick her tongue out at him and make a gesture that had them all laughing again.

'You wish I was here for you Black. It'll never happen, so just give up already,' she said and Harry watched as she passed his bed with another glare. 'Hello Harry. I hope you feel better soon,' she said to his surprise, before waving at Lily and continuing passed them.

'Sheena?' Harry called after her, making her stop and swing around to face them again. 'Who are the flowers for?'

'My Marcus of course,' she said with a slight red creeping up her cheeks, before turning back and making her way to the last bed in the corner that Harry had not noticed before now.

It had the curtains pulled around it tightly and Harry watched as the Hufflepuff girl parted them and walked in with a smile. Harry eased himself out of bed and ambled over to the bed that apparently contained his time-travelling partner. Sure enough, when he parted the curtains he found Sheena sitting in a chair next to a very tired and extremely green Marc.

'Marc? What happened, are you alright?' he asked and watched as the curly-haired boy nodded his head and smiled lightly.

'I guess I wasn't ready to be let out of the hospital wing just yet. I collapsed yesterday after dinner. Sheena here helped me to get back here. It's a good thing she was there,' he said in obvious sarcasm, and Harry restrained a laugh as Sheena leaned down and kissed him on the forehead, only to have him swat at her. She was undeterred and smiled down at him. 'Madam Pomfrey says I should be good as new by tonight and she's going to let me come back to the common room provided I promise to check with her in the morning,' he rolled his eyes at this, and Harry laughed.

'Alright, well why don't you come and sit with us. It looks like we'll all be here for at least as long,' he told his friend and watched as he nodded.

'Yeah, I heard. Lucky break,' he said.

'I know. If it hadn't been the blue moon...' Harry trailed off, unsure of what would have happened for certain.

'Actually I meant with the Minis, I mean Undersecretary,' he said with a cocked eyebrow. Harry just smiled and helped him to get to his feet, Sheena helping from the other side.

Soon Marc and Sheena were installed in the bed that been had Fudge's and the s even students were once again chatting amicably about this and that. Harry's attention was suddenly pulled away from the conversation as he noticed Sheena playing with a pendant that hung around Marc's neck.

He squinted to make sure he was seeing correctly and then looked down at his own to compare them.

'Marc, could I see your pendant for a second,' Harry asked and pointed to the shining gold object being fingered by the tall Hufflepuff.

'What, this? Yeah sure,' he said and pulled it over his head before tossing it over to Harry who snatched it out of the air with ease.

Holding it next to his and his mother's pendants he found that they were an exact match except that Marc's was in gold.

'Where did you get this?' Harry asked, curious as to how they could possess the same family crest.

'Oh, it's just my family crest. My mum got it for me when I was born. Why, is it like yours?' he asked, not all that interested.

'They're identical except for the material.' Harry commented and watched Marc for his response.

'Well yeah, that's a big difference. Way back in the past, when the crests were still regarded as extremely important, the material it was made from described the financial status and nobility of a family. Apparently yours was a bit higher class than mine,' he added with a smirk. 'I guess I'll have to resent you for it,' he joked, and Harry threw it back over to him.

Next to Marc, Lily looked over and looked at the pendant as Marc placed it back over his head, before reaching into her robes and pulling out a chain and her own pendant. Harry's heart nearly stopped and he could see the panic on Marc's face too.

'That's odd,' she said as she stared at her own silver pendant. 'I didn't say anything when I noticed your pendant Harry, but it would appear that they're making more of these darned things then we thought. I've got the same one as you, and I know for a fact that I'm not related to anyone by the name Portus.'

Both boys relaxed and they started to chuckle. 'Oh well, at least our parents meant well in buying them,' Harry said with a smile and watched as Lily nodded in agreement.

Another hour of light conversation passed before Madam Pomfrey appeared form her office looking severely harassed and shooed Sheena from the hospital wing, telling the others that they had five minutes before they were to take a dreamless sleep draft. They all groaned and Sirius asked if he could just be set free.

'I don't think so Mister Black,' came her response with a scoff. 'You will not be leaving this room for at least a day and a half. Don't try to argue. Same goes for Misters Potter and Pettigrew. Portus, Turner and Evans, you'll all be free to leave tonight.'

'At least we'll be out in time for the match against Hufflepuff,' James said and grinned at Sirius, but it was short-lived as Madam Pomfrey whirled around.

'I think not Mister Potter. There will be no Quidditch for at least a week, and I have already gotten the Headmasters approval for that,' she said, getting nasty and outraged looks from both boys.

'What are we going to do?' James screeched. 'We don't have another seeker on reserve.'

'Or another beater,' Sirius said in frustration.

Harry grinned from ear to ear and exchanged a look with Marc who seemed happier on the spot.

'Actually you do.'

Harry walked down to breakfast the next morning with Marc and Lily, all three of them having been released late the night before from the hospital wing. At first, neither James nor Sirius wanted to relinquish their places on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but it took very little persuasion after reminding them that they would forfeit without replacements. This meant that the very next afternoon, Harry and Marc would both be out on broomsticks, playing Quidditch against players they had never played against before and with team mates they had yet to meet.

Walking to their table, Harry listened for the expected comments about the werewolf attack two nights before, and was shocked to find that not a single student was mentioning it. Instead, he heard a several groups of girls discussing the tragic Quidditch accident that had incapacitated both James Potter and Sirius Black. Harry grinned up at the staff table and received a small wink from the Headmaster. He was not sure how he had managed it, but Dumbledore had succeeded, for the first time that Harry could remember, at keeping a secret out of the corridors of Hogwarts.

The three friends sat down at the Gryffindor table and were soon joined by several of their friends, Sophie and Gwendolyn among them. They began talking about many different things until finally they were interrupted by the Prewett twins joining them and instantly changing the subject to tomorrow's Quidditch match.

Harry did not object, and allowed the twins to discuss whatever it was they wished when they were around. He did not in any way pity them, but he did feel a certain sympathy, having lost his parents as well. The twins seemed to have taken the news of their demised family better than expected, neither of them cursing anyone nor trying to leave the school. There had been a day where they had left to attend their parents' funeral, and once they had returned it would not have been entirely inaccurate to say they were different wizards.

While the twins were obviously still themselves, they acted in a much more dignified and entirely un-Prewett way. Both boys had given up on their constant attempts at humour, and it appeared as though their grades had not suffered in any way. McGonagall seemed worried as their grades started to rise, Harry catching her comment to the Headmaster about their change of behaviour. Everything theses days for the twins was about finishing school and becoming Aurors, something Harry understood fully. They did not talk about it, but Harry understood that they wished for revenge.

The one thing that had remained the same with these boys was their love for Quidditch, and now that Harry thought about it, it was the one constant source of pleasure for him in his own time as well. No matter what happened to him, a good game of Quidditch or even simply flying around the pitch was enough to lighten his heart significantly. If that was what the Prewett twins needed, Harry figured that they deserved every chance they got to bring their favorite game up.

The Head Boy also happened to be the captain of the team and Harry found himself thinking of how envious Ron would be had he come along for this trip. Being the captain, Gideon eventually commented on his seeker and beater's status, hoping that they would both be alright by the time of tomorrow's game.

'Actually Gideon, I'll be playing for you tomorrow. James has already approved it.' Harry said.

'What?' The light-haired boy nearly screamed. 'No, that can't be. We need James. Without him it's nearly pointless. That boy has got the record time for catching the snitch in consecutive matches. If we lose against Hufflepuff, it won't matter if we beat Slytherin later on. They've already got too much of a point lead form their match against Ravenclaw. I need James!'

'No you don't,' Harry shouted back at him. 'I could beat him any day of the week,' he added, with as much arrogance as he figured James would have used.

At this both Prewetts began to laugh and soon, even Gwendolyn and Sophie were laughing. Lily smiled politely at Harry, but it was quite evident that she too found his comment to be untrue.

'Harry,' Fabian said now, 'No one has ever caught the snitch before James. No one. As good as you think you are, I know exactly who I would put my galleons on.'

'And you'd lose them all,' Marc said loudly, defending his friend, but also knowing that Harry would probably beat James if given the chance.

'Really? And how many matches have you caught the snitch in less than three hours?' Gideon asked, more as a rhetorical comment than anything.

'All but one actually,' he said getting a wide-eyed look from everyone but Marc. 'Only missing it once in six years isn't all that bad now is it?' he asked, eliciting a more than amusing reaction from the Head Boy and his twin.

'Six years?' Gideon shouted. 'No one has ever been allowed on a team at Hogwarts before second year. Are you telling me that Durmstrang lets their first years play?'

'If they're good enough,' Harry said, enjoying this chance to show off his skills for once. 'But so far, I'm the first in a hundred years.'

'Well, even if that is true,' Fabian said now with one of the first serious expressions Harry had ever seen, 'you've just said you lost a match. James hasn't lost any.' There was silent murmur of consensus around the table and Harry saw Marc smile knowingly.

'I suppose you're right,' Harry said in a business like tone, and watched the satisfied expression on both boys faces. 'Although, the hundreds of Dementors flying around the players and spilling on to the pitch may have affected me slightly.'

The silence that ensued was absolute. Every person sitting around Harry gaped at him, most of them stunned by his comment, others trying to decide whether he was telling the truth or not.

'You're trying to tell me,' Fabian challenged him now, 'that not only did the Dementors leave Azkaban, but they somehow made it to Durmstrang and floated around your Quidditch pitch. And then of course you survived, but I'm sure it simply wanted to chat,' he said mockingly, having obviously decided that Harry was lying.

'Of course the Dementors were trying to get Harry's soul,' Marc said quickly in an attempt to defend his friend. 'And after that incident Harry hasn't met a Dementor he couldn't take care of. He's got the best Patronus I've ever seen. I'd like to see James beat that!'

Harry groaned inwardly. He had not intended on telling the Gryffindor table about his ability to conjure a Patronus, and now he was certain that everyone would want proof that he could. He gave Marc a look that clearly expressed how pleased he was about his remark.

'You can conjure a Patronus?' Sophie asked excitedly. 'I've been practicing, but I can't even get a vapour to appear from my wand.'

'Step aside,' Fabian declared, 'I will show you a Patronus.' He lifted his wand and seemed to be thinking very hard about something before flicking his wand and shouting 'Expecto Patronum!' Harry waited for some amazing figure to shoot out of the slender piece of willow in the seventh year's hand, and had to suppress a grin when a large amount of silver vapour sprung from the tip instead. It hung in the air for several moments before quickly dissipating and leaving a smug Fabian standing in its wake. Everyone applauded for him.

'And that is how a real Patronus is cast,' he said, grinning at Harry, a challenging look in his eyes. 'But I'm sure you already knew that.'

'Go on Harry, show them how it's done,' Marc said from beside him. 'What could it hurt? I mean, with the dazzling performance Prewett just put on, how could you not compare?'

Everyone was watching Harry as he looked up toward the staff table, wondering who exactly would see his not so little display of magic. Dumbledore was eating quietly in his seat, while professors Sharpbane and Sprout discussed something seemingly serious. McGonagall and Flitwick were, as always, talking amicably about something or other, and Harry sighed heavily as he got to his feet and took a step toward the center of the room. If he was going to do this, it would make quite a show either way, so he decided he had better get everyone's attention so not to scare them half to death.

He noticed now that only the Headmaster and professor Sharpbane had noticed Fabian's attempt at a Patronus, and that both seemed rather impressed with his effort. He was worried about what they would do when they saw his. He slowly lifted his wand and pretended not to notice as all of the teachers stopped their conversations to watch him, Dumbledore smiling slightly as he did.

Eyes closed, he searched his mind quickly to find a happy memory and decided upon a more recent experience. While not his happiest memory, brewing the growth draft with Lily and Snape had become one of his favourites. He clearly singled out a moment where his mother had laughed and then flicked his wand shouting 'Expecto Patronum!'

Harry opened his eyes in time to watch a brilliant white stag leap from the end of his wand and begin galloping toward the staff table, where it leaped over the Headmaster before circling around the back and heading back toward its originator. It made several rounds around the Great Hall before finally disappearing and leaving Harry in a room filled with eyes that watched him. Every student and teacher had their eyes trained on him, most of their mouth hanging slightly open without a sound to emit.

Finally it was Dumbledore to break the awkward silence by applauding. As soon as the old man's hands had come together, the rest of the school had joined in excitedly, every student cheering loudly for him; the Slytherins of course being the exception. Harry quickly took his seat next to Marc, who slapped him on the back and then gave a dumbfounded Fabian an I-told-you-so look.

It was several minutes before Harry noticed the strange look he was getting from the Potions Mistress. She was staring oddly at him with an expression on her face that Harry had never seen her use before. If he had not known any better he would have said that she was impressed. Luckily, he did know her better than that so he quickly excused himself from breakfast after telling a speechless Gideon that he would see him on the pitch the next afternoon.

'But what are we going to do about Sirius? We still need another beater,' the Head Boy stuttered after him.

Harry turned back to see Marc placing a hand on the tall boy's shoulder, and then laughed when he saw his twin's incredulous look at being told that Marc would be his new partner. Laughing, Harry exited the Great Hall and headed back toward his dormitory.

The next day at half past twelve, a mad rush of whispers and comments filled the room the instant Harry and Marc walked into the Great Hall for lunch. Gideon had announced their decision to substitute players to the Heads of House the night before, and soon the entire school was excited to see how Gryffindor would fare with their newest exchange wizards playing on their team for the first time.

To say that the team members were sceptical toward trusting the new members would have been a great understatement, as it was evident that they would be losing without their two most accomplished players. The Hufflepuff table was positively alight this morning, owing to the fact that they knew they would not be playing against James Potter, and therefore would undoubtedly catch the snitch in no time at all. Harry just shook his head and continued to eat with the Marc, the Marauders and Lily and her friends.

James and the others had been released from the hospital wing that morning and would be able to watch the match in a couple of hours after much protesting on their parts. The Headmaster had finally convinced Madam Pomfrey that it was enough that they were being forced to give up their spots temporarily and that it would not do much to prevent them from watching as they would probably somehow bring harm to themselves in their attempt to see the match anyway.

Now Harry was sitting with his friends and trying his best to act as though he cared about the information James was feeding him. He kept nodding and acknowledging the little facts and maneuvers his father thought would help him to win the match, while he really listened to the conversations that his other friends were having. On the other side of the table, Marc appeared to be just as annoyed by Sirius' antics to teach him how to be a beater, constantly rolling his eyes in Harry's direction and making him laugh, much to James' annoyance.

Finally, lunch was over and the students started to file out of the Great Hall for a chance at the best seats in the stands, wanting to get as close to the action as was possible. Harry and Marc followed the rest of the Gryffindor team back to the common room to retrieve their Quidditch robes, and were pleased to find that both he and Marc had brand new crimson robes draped on their beds.

Down in the changing rooms, Harry and Marc were quickly given a speech by Gideon and introduced to the two members of the team that they did not know. Other than Gideon and Fabian, Gwendolyn surprisingly turned out to be one the chasers along with a third year girl named Trenice Dawling. A dark-haired fourth year boy named Kristian Kale played Keeper, and Harry hoped that he was at least half as good as Ron.

Once the entire team was acquainted, Gideon proceeded to give one of the most terrible pre-match speeches Harry had ever heard. Granted he had been privy to Oliver and Angelina's over-zealous captaincies, he still could not believe that a captain would be so unenthusiastic to readily accept defeat and warn his team not to worry about it.

Harry heard an unfamiliar voice boom out from high above in the stands and he was soon following his new teammates out onto the pitch as their names were called. Moments later, he was fifty feet in the air, staring down the Hufflepuff team and not recognizing a single player as he waited for the release of the bludgers, snitch and finally the quaffle. Gideon shook hands with the Hufflepuff captain Ginella Thomas and quickly mounted his broom to take position next to the other chasers.

Together, Gideon, Gwendolyn, and Kristian looked the formidable team, giving Harry the impression that this Gryffindor team was not one used to losing. Along with Fabian and Sirius as beaters and James as seeker, it really just depended on their keepers abilities, to tell him that they had a near perfect team.

Harry's attention was pulled back to the game as the golden snitch whizzed past his head in a gold blur and a whistle was blown to start the match. He immediately turned face to search for the tiny ball, knowing full well that it could easily have reached the other end of the pitch by now.

The sky was clouded and grey, however the sun made sporadic attempts to shine through, every once in a while succeeding in bathing the players in warmth for several minutes at a time. Hogwarts' grounds were covered in a thin layer of crisp white snow, having just fallen for the first time this season the night before. There was a chill in the air, and Harry could tell that there would soon be much more of the frosty white substance covering the grounds. The pitch had been cleared of snow that morning and now Harry pulled his robes tighter around him as he searched.

'Hufflepuff in possession,' the announcer's voice shouted over the crowd, and Harry looked down to see the captain rush toward Kristian. 'Thomas is barreling toward Kale at incredible speeds, both Trent and Carver at her sides. Hufflepuff is showing an incredible amount of speed this year, and I don't believe I've ever seen chasers so coordinated before.'

As he said this, Harry watched Gideon give Gwen a sign and watched as she and Trenice dropped low before giving a burst of speed and leveling next to Thomas. The instant she found them shadowing her, she released the quaffle and sent it to one of her other Chasers.

'Oh, Thomas gives the quaffle up quickly, only to have it intercepted by Prewett. It appears the Gryffindors have come up with a more aggressive strategy than we're used to. Now Prewett has passed the quaffle to Chastings and she flies low before dodging a bludger from Creptin and passes it up to Dawling. Dawling rushes at the Hufflepuff hoops and lets it sail through the left hoop. You'll have to do better than that Jargus. Ten points to Gryffindor!'

Harry heard shouts of approval form the Red and gold component of the crowd and found that James and Sirius were on their feet cheering as loudly as they could, both still heavily bandaged and being watched by professor McGonagall. He shook his head with a laugh and kept searching. A tall blond boy played seeker for Hufflepuff, and Harry found that he kept looking up toward him, as though ensuring that he knew where he was at all times.

'Hufflepuff in possession once again, this time Carver looping around the left side of the pitch toward the goals. Oh! He drops the quaffle to avoid that perfectly aimed bludger from Turner. First day on the job and already showing such talent! Now Thomas has reclaimed the quaffle and is dong a great job weaving between the Gryffindor players. She aims for the right hoop, but wait, she sends it to the left. No good! Kale is quick on his broom, snatching it out f the air. Kale sends the quaffle to captain Prewett, who swiftly sends it up to Chastings. This girl is a marvel on a broomstick. She flies through the air as though she were flying without a broom.'

Harry looked down once more to watch as Gwen flew in and out of several defensive barriers put up by the opposing chasers before making a series of passes with her teammates and finally scoring another ten points. So far things were going well.

'Creptin and Dungler are working well together today, however Prewett and turner are turning out to be quite the incredible pair. If Turner keeps up with this accuracy, I would not be surprised if Black was not asked back.'

'Doppler!' McGonagall's magnified voice echoed disapprovingly, fishing an apology from the announcer and reminding Harry greatly of Lee Jordan. Harry laughed out loud when he saw the disgruntled look on Sirius' face and the death glares he was shooting at this Doppler boy.

The game continued for an hour before anything drastic needed to be done. The teams were tied at eighty points each, Hufflepuff showing that they really were a great team in this time. Harry had now seen the snitch twice, but had refrained from catching it, as he was not sure he could have beat the blond Hufflepuff to it on the old Cleansweep he was using. James had been gracious enough to lend it to him, as Sirius had done for Marc, but next to his Firebolt, Harry felt that he had might as well use a school broom.

This was getting ridiculous, Harry thought as he watched the snitch appear for the third time, once again about ten feet away from the oblivious Hufflepuff seeker. How this boy had made the team, Harry would never understand. Harry decided to make a lunge for the tiny sphere but stopped at hearing 'ten points to Hufflepuff!' shouted over the crowd.

Now Gryffindor was behind by ten points, and although they would still win if he caught the snitch, Harry was certain that Gideon would have his head for not letting them build up points the way Ron and Angelina always wanted. He gave the other seeker another withering glance before telling himself that he could very well have foregone his seeker duties and joined in the game for all the talent the blond possessed. Harry's eyes widened and he shouted Time-out before rushing over to Gideon and whispering in his ear.

The crowd seemed confused as to what the problem was, and the look on the Gryffindor captain's face was one of disbelief and uncertainty. Finally he gave a small nod and called his other chasers over while Harry flew down to speak to Professor Clanders, the schools present flight instructor. The look on her face was similar to that of Gideon Prewetts as the crowd watched her talk with the Gryffindor Seeker, but after a moment of flipping through her rulebook, she nodded and Harry flew back up to the game.

Professor Clanders blew her whistle and the match continued, Harry flying back up and circling the pitch in search of the snitch. He watched as all three chasers were closely followed by their Hufflepuff counterparts, making it difficult for them to pass to one another. Hufflepuff might have been the weakest team in his time, but here, Harry decided that they were far better than his time's Ravenclaws. Seeing a perfect opening, Harry gave Gideon a quick wink before heading down lower toward the Hufflepuff side of the pitch.

'Prewett in possession again, and he's finding it difficult to pass the quaffle to any of his teammates. Chastings drops low, but she's quickly countered by Carver, making it an unclear shot. What's this? Chastings and Dawling are both rushing back toward their keeper, Carver and Trent both marking them with ease. What are they doing? The goal posts are in the other direction ladies.'

Harry took this as his cue and flew up about sic feet away from Gideon where he was quickly tossed the quaffle and headed toward the goal posts.

'Merlin! Portus is now in possession of the quaffle and headed directly for the hoops. Thomas and Prewett are in hot pursuit but Carver and Trent will never close the gap. Portus passes back to Prewett and he flies high before passing it back again. Thomas is being led in circles here. Portus makes to pass it back once more, but no, he flies into the scoring area and lets the quaffle sail past Jargus. Ten points to Gryffindor!'

The crowds roared in approval and even the Ravenclaws and some Slytherins were applauding. The looks on Sirius' and James' faces were indescribable as they looked on in shock. It was the icing to Harry's plan.

'Never before have I seen something like this. A seeker playing as a chaser! This is unheard of! Portus back in possession, now over to Chastings, and now to Prewett. Prewett back to Chastings and now over to Dawling. With four chasers, the Hufflepuffs are barely keeping tabs. Ten pints Gryffindor!' he shouted again, as Jargus missed a shot from Trenice.

Harry watched in amusement as Ginella Thomas called the blond boy down to her and soon he was also acting as a chaser, to counter anything that Harry might do. This technique continued for another hour or so, Harry easily outwitting the blond boy and essentially allowing Gryffindor to lead by sixty points.

Just as he was about to make a break for the hoops with possession again, Harry saw the blond seeker dive in the corner of his eye. His heart sank as he realized that he would not be able to catch up with him from his current height. He threw the quaffle haphazardly before looking down and going into a dive anyhow, hoping that maybe the other seeker would miraculously miss it. He was bout a hundred meters away, and he could see the glint of gold directly below him, flittering about fifty feet off the ground. Te other seeker was nearly fifteen meters ahead of him.

Having a daring idea, Harry took a deep breath and let go of his broom, allowing himself to freefall toward the earth. He pointed his hands downward and tried to straighten up as though he were diving and soon he could feel the wind whipping at his face as the ground quickly approached him. He could hear screams from the crowd and noticed the horribly confused look on the blond boys face as he fell past him, before finally closing his hand around the tiny golden snitch and turning his head up to the sky again.

He reached out a hand and willed with all his might for his broom to come to him. He whispered the words 'Accio broom,' and watched in relief as it came whipping at him at break-neck speeds. He grabbed hold of it ten feet from the ground and pulled up as hard as he could, just barely skimming the frozen grass with the hem of his robes before rising into the air again.

His heart was thumping madly in his chest as he held up a hand and heard the cry of 'Portus has caught the snitch, Gryffindor wins!' The silence that had momentarily filled the stands was now replaced by a deafening roar of applause and cheers as Gryffindors jumped up and down in approval of what they had just seen. Harry landed quickly and was met by the rest of the team, all of them running to him and cheering him on for what he had done.

'Are you mad?' Gideon shouted at him disbelievingly, although this was outweighed greatly by the wide grin on his face and the approving slaps on the back.

Marc simply shook his head and gave Harry a look that told him he knew that he was going to do something like that. Harry looked up from the congratulations of his team to see the Hufflepuffs leave the pitch looking disgruntled and extremely disappointed.

Harry gave one of the widest smiles in a long time at seeing the blond seeker walk off the pitch looking as though he still did not understand exactly what had happened.


	21. Suspicious Switch

**Chapter 21: Suspicious Switch**

Harry awoke early the following Tuesday morning, with hopes of getting to the library and studying time-travel for an hour or two before the start of lessons. The weak beams of grey light that shone through the dormitory window spilled onto Harry's figure at odd angles while he dressed himself, and beckoned him to the window sill. Taking a quick glance outside, Harry was happy to see that there was easily a foot of snow glistening over the grounds and begging to be disturbed.

Harry tried not to think of all the times he, Ron and Hermione had taken half of their day to have snowball fights and such whenever a new snowfall arrived. Now he wondered if perhaps they were out in the snow in his time, having a great time and not even thinking about him. He sighed heavily and turned to quietly make his way to the library.

Harry found to his annoyance that at half past six in the morning, even Madam Pince had trouble making it to the library on time. After reaching the locked library doors, it was another ten minutes before she arrived to open shop for the day. He considered letting himself in with the alohomora as he had often done before, but quickly decided against it as he did not want to explain to an extremely irritable Pince why he was sitting in the library in the dark.

Harry now moved quietly around the shelves of the old library searching for any materials that might help him with time travel queries. He figured that if there was anything useful it would be in the restricted section and under the ever-watchful eyes of Irma Pince, this was a section in which he would not find himself any time soon.

Harry simply settled for a stack of texts on Potions, Metamorphmagi and Defense techniques before installing himself at a rather comfortable table in the farthest corner from the nosy librarian's line of sight. By the end of two hours, Harry was no closer to finding a way home, however he could now probably cast a double hex, hopefully alter the pigment of his skin, and without a doubt brew the wolliwhipper wart potion and effectively rid himself of any large wart if need be.

As he returned the heavy volumes to their shelves so not to incur the wrath of the not so morning person Madam Pince, Harry laughed to himself. Never in a million years would he have guessed that of all his classes he would find Potions to be the most intriguing and then find that of them all he was more then able to receive Outstandings for his work. Perhaps, he joked, he would receive special commendation for his Potion work when the N.E.W.T's were over. He laughed even harder when he entertained the thought of himself coming back to Hogwarts one day as the Potions Master. Professor Potter; that would be the day.

Harry reached the Great Hall for breakfast and found that as usual he was gawked at upon entry and the level of chatter immediately rose as he walked between the tables to take his seat across from Marc. Three days later and still all people wanted to talk about was his incredible catching of the snitch.

'Harry, where were you this morning mate?' Marc asked through a mouthful of oatmeal.

'Went to the library to check things out,' he answered and gave Marc a look to ensure that he understood what he meant. Marc nodded.

For the past two days, the pair had been taking turns checking the library for what they could find, but neither had come up with anything so far, only succeeding in frustrating them both further. For a while it hade appeared that Marc did not mind being stranded in the past, but now with the insistent harassment from a certain blonde Hufflepuff, Marc had reaffirmed his wish to get home at any cost.

The pair were soon joined by Lily and Gwendolyn and then of course the Marauders and then the Prewetts. Gideon had taken to ruffling Harry's hair every time he saw him, telling him that he and James shared talent and looks, so they had might as well have the same hair style. Harry continued to flatten it best he could while telling Gideon that arrogance was not a look that suited him, and the entire table burst out laughing when James announced that arrogance looked good with anything.

Gwendolyn only stayed ten minutes or so, excusing herself early and telling her friends that she had an appointment. This would be the fifth day in a row that she had an appointment and Harry began to wonder what these appointments concerned.

As soon as breakfast ended, Marc excused himself and took off running to his first class, Sheena not twenty paces behind him. Both Prewetts found this amusing and told Harry that they would keep an eye on him in between classes before they left for advanced Transfiguration.

'So are we going to Charms or not?' Lily asked and all six of the remaining friends headed out of the hall toward professor Flitwick's classroom.

The morning's lessons were uneventful, both James and Sirius once again failing to knock their tiny charms teacher from his stack of books. History of magic had been even more dreadfully boring than usual and Harry promised himself that when he got home, he would definitely speak with Binns about possibly livening his lessons. Finally the end of lesson bell rang and Harry picked up his already packed rucksack to leave.

'Harry?' he heard from behind him and turned to find his mother. 'Would you like to have lunch in the Astronomy tower today. I thought we could talk or something. I understand if you don't want to.'

'Absolutely,' he replied immediately, more than happy to spend as much time talking one on one with his mother. 'Shall we order in?' he joked.

'After a quick stop at the kitchens, where both students were more than adequately supplied with food and drink, the pair made their way up to the tower and took a seat at a table next to a window overlooking the grounds. It really was a much nicer environment to eat than in the Great Hall where it was nearly impossible to hear your own thoughts let alone carry on a conversation.

'So, how are you feeling lately Harry? Is your shoulder still bothering you?' Lily asked, concern clearly conveyed as she spoke.

'Oh, it's nothing,' Harry said, his wound now barely hurting him anymore. Except of course when he moved it.

'How about you? Are you alright?' he asked, unsure of how to ask what he truly meant.

'Of course. I wasn't attacked remember?' she said with a small smile and took a sip of juice. 'I was simply worried for the four of you.'

'The four of us?' Harry asked with a grin. 'So you admit you were worried about James?' Lily's eyes darted away from Harry's and looked out the window as red began to creep up her neck. Harry tried to hide his smirk but it was far too difficult.

'Well, I was worried about everyone, the same way I would worry about anyone in that situation,' she replied quickly, impressing Harry with her almost convincing lie.

'And you were not affected in the least by his last words before being ravaged?' Lily gave him a warning look that wiped the smile from his face and had him quickly change the subject for fear of being cursed. 'How about Gwen? Where's she been going all week? She can't have missed that many meals in a row for a professor. Besides I didn't think she would need remedial lessons.'

Lily gave him a calculating glance before looking around and lowering her voice to a whisper. She leaned in closer just in case somebody heard her. 'You have to promise me you won't say anything to anyone Harry. Do you promise me?' she whispered seriously.

'Of course,' Harry said, even more interested in this apparent secret.

'She's been meeting her boyfriend.'

Harry looked surprised and gave a small laugh. Was that all? Gwen had been skipping meals in order to visit with a boyfriend in secret. What was the point?

'Why don't they just wait for the Hogsmeade trip or have lunch together with all of us?' Harry asked, completely bewildered by the pretty brown-haired girls actions. 'I mean she doesn't hesitate to say anything to anyone and she generally gets what she wants. It just seems odd to me that she would hide something like that.'

'Oh no. She can't. Gwen doesn't usually care what others think about her, but if anyone found out she was dating a Slytherin, they'd think her a traitor.'

'A Slytherin?' Harry shouted in a far higher voice than Lily was accustomed to, making her jump.

'Shhhh! I told you. You promised you wouldn't say anything, so don't you dare tell Sirius or James. Especially Sirius. He's been after Gwen since third year, and he'd maul her himself if he knew she was dating Severus.'

Harry nearly fell out of his seat as she said this. Snape? How could Gwen be dating Severus Snape? Of all the people in the Hogwarts, he would be the last person Harry would have guessed Gwen would select. With her looks and personality, it was clear to most individuals at Hogwarts that she could have any male in the castle.

'How long have they been seeing each other?' Harry asked, wondering if perhaps this was the reason for Snape's somewhat civil behaviour toward him recently.

'Since Christmas break of fifth year,' she answered with a smile and laughed at the surprised expression on Harry's face.

'But that's nearly a year!' Harry finally managed to say.

'How astute Portus,' Lily teased and started to eat some of the turkey on her plate. 'So I'm certain you'll understand her wish for secrecy when it comes to the Marauders at least.'

Harry shook his head and started to eat his meal as well. He laughed to himself as their meal continued, unable to believe the things he had learned in the past thus far.

The following days sped past, each student busying themselves with the preparation for end of term exams and then of course the Christmas holidays. There was little more than a week of term left now and Harry had yet to hear from the Headmaster when finally an owl flew in during breakfast and let a letter drop onto his lap. He hastily unrolled it, leaving several strips of bacon for the owl as payment for a job well done, and read the brief message on the yellowing parchment.  
_Harry,  
Please meet me in my office after your morning lessons and please be sure to bring Mr. Evans with you as well. I  
have some very good news for the both of you. The password is pumpkin pasties.  
Albus Dumbledore_

Harry rolled the parchment back up quickly and stuffed it into his robes pocket, looking up to find Marc watching him with interest. Harry nodded at him and Marc's eyes lit up significantly, indicating that he understood what had been in the short letter. On their way out of the hall, Harry quickly explained that they were to meet outside the Headmaster's office before going to the Great Hall, and then both parted ways to attend their morning lessons.

Harry tried his best to listen attentively during Charms and History of Magic, but found that he could barely keep his mind focused for more than a minute without it returning to the prospect of going home. Perhaps Dumbledore had found a potion or the correct spell, and now all they would have to do is help him research it. Harry figured that he might very well be home by the end of the week. That gave him just enough time to ask all the questions he wanted and to properly say goodbye to his parents and his new friends before he went home.

It seemed an eternity before Marc's figure finally wandered down the corridor to meet him, and soon the pair was walking up the familiar spiralling staircase and into the ever-welcoming round office of Albus Dumbledore. The old wizard was, as usual, sitting behind his desk in a very comfortable looking armchair, his fingers interlocked and an odd smile on his face.

'Take a seat please,' he said in his regular calm voice. 'I apologise for removing you from your meal but I felt it prudent to inform you of my discovery. I contacted two very wise wizards, and together we have found a way to create a time specific portkey that will allow you to return home. Thanks to Sorcerer Flamel and my very own brother Aberforth, you will be able to transport yourselves home, but it will have to be tonight. I assume you're both ready to leave?'

Harry and Marc were both grinning, but those smiles faded slightly at hearing they would be leaving that night. They had both been counting on more time to say goodbye, but it appeared this would not be the case.

'Yes sir,' Harry said with a fake grin plastered on his face. 'How and when do we get home?'

Dumbledore spent the next five minutes explaining to them that they would simply go out to the edge of the forest, where they would most likely be unseen, and tap the knot on the Whomping Willow with a stick to stop its branches moving. Then at precisely eleven o'clock they would be need to be touching the trees trunk so that it could act as the portkey.

'You will arrive in my future self's office moments later, and hopefully Misters Potter and Evans,' he raised an eyebrow at them both, 'not too much damage will have occurred. Do not worry about your friends either, as I have left myself a memo here,' he said as he lifted a bit of parchment from his desk for them to see, 'that will remind me to expect the pair of you in my office. This way no one will have worried too much about your disappearance.' He smiled at them both.

'Is that all then?' Marc asked, sounding surprised by the simplicity of it all. Dumbledore chuckled.

'Yes Mister Evans, that is all. I would like to take this chance to say my farewells, as I doubt we will get another uninterrupted moment. It has been a pleasure having the both of you at Hogwarts in this time, and I sincerely hope that you have both received some extent of insight as to why we do not play with time. I feel very fortunate that I have met you both this year, and even more fortunate to know that we shall see one another again.'

'Thank you professor,' Harry said with a smile. 'I hope you know how grateful we are, but I'm afraid I must ask you to do something else for me.'

'And what might that be Mister Potter?' he asked, his eyes twinkling more brightly than ever and giving Harry the indication that he already knew what was about to be asked.

'I would like your pensieve sir. And I must ask that you surrender your memories of our time here. Although I haven't told you much, I fear it may be enough to change our future, and that is something I cannot risk. I promise I will return them to you as soon as we get home. That way they can't do any harm.' Dumbledore smiled.

'Of course. I have already emptied it for your use,' he said, before flicking his wand and having the heavy basin appear on his desk. 'I will leave only enough in my memory so that in your parents' sixth year, two students from Durmstrang by the names of Portus and Turner participated in an exchange that ended on the evening of the fifteenth of December.'

'What of the other professors?' Harry asked, knowing that Dumbledore would already have taken care of it.

'Not a problem. Their memories have already been altered, though I would warn you to still keep your distance from professor Sharpbane,' he said and then coughed. Harry was certain that he was covering a snicker.

Moments later, Harry and Marc had said their farewells to the kind Headmaster and were walking back carefully to their common room, a pensieve carried between them with swirling white memories sloshing back and forth.

They packed it securely in Harry's trunk and placed an imperturbable charm on it to protect the loss of precious memories, before making their way down to the Great Hall for what remained of their break. They had barely been seated for five minutes when Dumbledore walked in from the antechamber behind the staff table and cleared his throat to make an announcement.

'Two announcements for you all. I am sad to inform you that we will be losing two of our number this evening. Tonight marks the end of Misters Portus and Turner's exchange programs and they will be returning to their homes for the holidays early.'

Chatter quickly travelled through the room, most of Gryffindor table now staring at Harry and Marc in shock at not having been told. Harry tried not to look at his parents or Remus, who was eyeing him knowingly. He noticed a hurt look on Lily's face that told him she could not believe what she was hearing.

'While they will both be missed, I offer my thanks for the time they chose to spend with us and ask you all to help me give them a proper farewell.' He waved his wand at the ceiling and Harry watched as decorations appeared all around the room, making it feel like a surprise party. Everyone began to applaud and both Harry and Marc started to laugh.

The chatter died down eventually and everyone's attention returned to the Headmaster for his second announcement.

'Though we are losing two of our students, I am pleased to introduce to you our new Durmstrang arrivals, who will now be staying with us until the end of Christmas holidays. Please help me in inviting them to our school.'

The students all began to clap their hands together once more as a tall man with shortly trimmed hair and a curling beard on his chin walked into the Great Hall. Harry nearly fell off his bench, and Marc gave a small squeal of surprise. Igor Karkaroff walked into the hall closely followed by five students, every one of them bearing a look of superiority on their faces that clearly meant they would be sitting at a certain table. Once all six arrivals were standing at the front of the room, Dumbledore continued.

'Professor Karkaroff will be assisting our Professor Sharpbane in Potions lessons to hopefully demonstrate what the Durmstrang courses offer, and each of these five students will be attending lessons with you for remainder of term. If you could kindly introduce yourselves?' he asked politely before taking a seat.

There were three girls and two boys, all of them appearing to be sixth or seventh years. The first to speak was a tall red-haired girl with a pug-nose and steely grey eyes. She introduced herself as Percede Kringull and announced that she was clearly a pureblood before stalking off to sit at the Slytherin table. Several people began to speak with her as though they were old friends.

The next girl was a very short brown-haired girl with eyes so light they nearly looked white. She introduced herself as Trindel Murlave before also announcing her status as a pureblood and joining Percede at the Slytherin table.

As Harry's eyes shifted to the next two people, he felt his hand dip into his robes and grip his wand. Both Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange introduced themselves before also joining their friends and leaving a solitary girl behind.

Harry was now seething in his seat as he stared coldly at the nearly black-haired girl in front of him. Her long curling hair flowed down past her shoulders and her heavy-lidded black eyes stared over at him icily before she smiled.

'Bellatrix Black. A pleasure I'm sure,' she sneered, before looking further up the Gryffindor table and smiling cruelly. 'How nice to see you again cousin,' she said in a mocking voice.

Harry looked up to watch as Sirius fixed a glare on her. 'As always Bella,' he nearly snarled.

Content with this reaction, Bellatrix smiled and walked over to take a seat, but surprisingly passed by the Slytherin table and sat down with the Ravenclaws. Harry watched as she hugged a tall blonde girl and he let out a gasp when he saw her face.

'Malfoy,' he hissed, instantly recognizing the face of his enemy's mother.

'Not quite,' Sirius said, still glaring over at the girls who were now discussing something excitedly. 'She's not going to marry that sorry excuse for a wizard until the summer. Until then, she's still a Black.' He said this with more disgust than Harry would have imagined possible.

'How did you know she was marrying Malfoy?' James asked, obviously having put aside any anger at not being told about his friends' departure.

'One of the girls was talking about it in the library the other day,' Marc said quickly and James nodded in understanding.

'Those two make quite the pair don't they?' Harry said, eyeing the sisters coldly, knowing that at least one if not both, would become Death Eaters. 'I'm sorry their parents ever reproduced,' he added bitterly.

'Whoa!' Sirius said, 'I might not like Bellatrix or Narcissa, but their sister is my absolute favorite cousin. I only wish Andromeda could have come instead of her. Unfortunately, she's at Beauxbatons. Their parents decided they would do well to have a connection to all three schools, whatever that means. It would have been great to have Romy here in Narcissa's place.'

Harry apologised quickly, and felt terrible for having inadvertently insulted Tonks' mother.

For the rest of the meal, Harry was constantly asked by students why he had not told anyone of his departure, but found it difficult to concentrate on them as he was trying to keep an eye on the witch that would one day kill his Godfather. Now he knew who had been speaking to Voldemort in his last nightmare. Bellatrix had told him that she would be able to get something he wanted by the week's end, and now she was at Hogwarts; it had to be her. But what could she possibly want with Hogwarts that Narcissa or one of the Slytherins could not attain?

Soon it was time to return to lessons and Harry felt uncomfortable leaving Bellatrix without a guard, but he had little choice as he was dragged along the corridors by James and Sirius.

Potions was almost bearable today as Harry knew it would be his last ever lesson with professor Sharpbane. Unfortunately, Karkaroff was now present and he was the one teaching the lesson while Sharpbane patrolled the aisles and criticized the students' work. Harry also had the pleasure of having both Bellatrix Black and her friend Percede in the classroom, each of them partnered with a Slytherin and receiving near praise from both adults.

Harry worked quietly with Snape on the particular poison they were learning to brew, watching sadly as Karkaroff eyed the dark-haired boy curiously. Evidently he knew what the Dark Lord had in store for Snape, and now Harry wanted more than ever to warn him not to give in to whatever threat or offer Lucius made. Between not cursing Bellatrix and not warning Snape, his parents, or his Godfather about their futures, Harry was using every bit of self restraint he could muster.

At the end of lesson the bell rang and the students were promptly dismissed after they handed in their samples for grading. Harry handed theirs in and then waked back to where Snape was packing his things.

'Severus?' he said, and watched as the large-nosed boy looked up at him. He figured it would be the last time he ever called Snape by his first name. 'I know you were embarrassed because of a chance you took for me. I just wanted to say thank-you before I left. You're the best partner I've ever had in Potions and I thought you should know.'

Snape narrowed his eyes at him in a calculating way before he spoke. 'I was far from impressed with the evaluation of our growth potion Portus, but as much as it pains me to admit it, you are the best partner I have ever had as well. Mind you, you're the only partner I've ever had in this class.'

Harry smirked but then smiled genuinely when his future nemesis held out a hand to him. He shook it tightly and was unsurprised to find his hand to be very cold and dry. Before he let go he leaned forward slightly and wished him good luck with Gwen. The last thing he saw of the sixteen-year-old Severus Snape was the only shocked expression he had ever witnessed on his face.

By the time of Harry's final lesson, he had said more goodbyes than he could remember in his own time. It appeared that many would be sad to see both him and Marc leaving, but he knew that it was the only way. On their way down to the Great Hall, Harry and Marc were suddenly grabbed by James and Sirius and dragged back toward the common room, the dark-haired boys telling them that they had to grab something before they could go to dinner. Harry and Marc exchanged suspicious glances before conceding and allowing themselves to be steered through the port hole.

As soon as they had entered, a roar of cheers and shouts of surprise were heard from almost every Gryffindor in the castle. Harry saw every student he had met from Gryffindor since he had arrived seated around two long tables in the middle of the room.

'We thought we ought to do it right, mates' Sirius said with a grin.

'Not that they deserve it,' James said jokingly. 'I still can't believe you didn't tell us you were leaving. I thought you'd be staying until the end of seventh year. We could've had so much fun destroying the Slytherins!'

'Won't the Headmaster be wondering where all the students have got to?' Marc asked the obvious question as he looked around the room.

'He already knows,' Remus said from a seat next to Lily at one of the tables. 'McGonagall approved it so we don't have to worry.'

As soon as he said this, the table filled with plates of the most delicious foods Hogwarts offered, and Harry smiled knowing that these were generally reserved for the Halloween and end of term feasts. He and Marc took their seats at the head of the tables and simply enjoyed themselves for next few hours, talking to their friends and sadly making promises to keep in touch, though they knew it would not be possible. This would be the last time they saw most of these people, so both boys made the best of the situation and enjoyed what time they were offered.

The spectacular party continued for several hours, no one wanting to leave the fun, but by ten o'clock Gideon, Remus and Lily were ushering the younger children off to bed. By half past ten, the few remaining students said their final goodbyes to the boys and made their way up to their dormitories as well.

Harry was now sitting in one of the armchairs in front of the fireplace with an armful of cards and letters, filled with addresses and messages that he knew he would never be able to respond to. He had never been one for goodbyes, mainly because he rarely had anyone to say it to, but today he had said it nearly a hundred times and it was starting to get to him. He would truly miss these people.

He would miss Gideon's false authority and Fabian's lame jokes about everything. He would miss Sirius' happiness and Remus's friendship. He knew that he would see Remus when he got home, but it would be different. Most of all, he would miss his parents. His relationship with James might not have been the best at the start, but now he felt so close to the boy that he was not sure how to say goodbye. Lily's friendship was the one that he would remember above all others. She had been nothing but his friend since the first day he met her. Spending time with both of these teenagers had given Harry a second chance that he never thought he would get, and for that he was thankful.

Looking up, Harry found Remus watching him and he suddenly remembered what he had to do yet. 'Could you help me with my trunk Remus?' he asked and smiled appreciatively as the sandy-haired boy got to his feet.

'We'll help you with yours Marc,' James and Sirius both said, getting to their feet as well. Peter remained seated.

As soon as they were in the dormitory, Harry locked the door, walked over to his four-poster, and crouched down to his trunk. He lifted the pensieve out and looked up at Remus, hoping that he would not mind giving up his memories.

'If you could just add your memories of that night to the pensieve, I can give them back to you when I get home. That way time won't change and you can still remember what happened here. Before you do though, I just want you to know I'm really glad that I got the chance to know you as a teenager Remus. Now I know for sure that we would have been friends if I were at school with you. I hope you don't mind giving up the memories, and I promise I'll be careful with them.'

'Not a problem Harry, and thanks. I guess it's better than the obliviate. See you in a while,' he said with a smile and then proceeded to remove wispy silver strands from his mind and allowed them to join Dumbledore's in the stone basin.

When he was done, Harry replaced the pensieve and sealed his trunk tightly before levitating it down to the common room where Marc was now saying his final goodbyes to James, Sirius, Gideon, Fabian, Sophie, Gwen, and Lily. Even Peter had stood up to say goodbye, and as Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, he held out a hand to the short boy.

'Good luck Peter,' he said in the most polite and quiet voice he could find. 'Make good choices.' The nervous looking boy looked up oddly at him but nodded all the same.

He said goodbye to the Prewetts and wished them luck in Auror training. He told Sophie to keep an eye out for Fabian or she might just end up marrying him. She smacked him on the arm before hugging him goodbye. When he hugged Gwen, he leaned in and whispered something into her ear that no one else could hear. The deep shade of red that crept onto her face and the glare she gave Lily alerted her as to what it was and made Harry laugh.

Next was Remus. He shook his hand firmly and told him to keep the other two in line while they were gone, getting a scoff from both James and Sirius.

'I'll see what I can do,' he said to him, but rolled his eyes dramatically as a sign of the futile attempt.

As Harry shook hands with his Godfather, he considered whispering a warning into his ear. Nothing large but possibly something to warn him about the veil. It took all his will power but he managed to stay quiet. Next, he said goodbye to his father and was not sure what to say other than to keep at Quidditch and maybe one day he would be as good as him. James laughed and told him he would try.

'Remember mates, you two are the only representatives of the Marauders at Durmstrang. Do us proud.' Harry and Marc both saluted with grins.

Finally it was Lily's turn and Harry was not sure of what to say. He did not have a funny comment or embarrassing moment to bring up and he could not find the words to say goodbye to his mother for the last time. He tried hard to think of something, but all that came to mind was that he would never speak to her again. As tears started to build up in his eyes he blinked a few times for control and found that Lily was chuckling.

'Don't you start Portus or I'll turn into a fountain,' she said, tears in her eyes now threatening to pour down her cheeks.

She leaned forward and gave him a tight hug, one that Harry would never forget. He closed his eyes for just a moment to etch into his memory the comforting feeling of his mother's hugs. As she pulled away, Harry noticed a strange look he was getting from James and finally thought of something to say.

'Oh, and promise you'll do me a favor Lily,' he said with a grin.

'Anything,' she said curiously.

'Good. Go out with James already.'

Everyone in the room started to laugh and Harry could see the red creeping onto both of his parents faces as he bent down to grab the handle on his trunk.

'How are you two getting back to Durmstrang?' James asked then, trying to quickly change the subject.

Both boys had not thought of an excuse so they answered quickly at the same time.

'Floo powder,' Marc replied.

'Hogwarts Express,' Harry answered.

James and Sirius exchanged curious looks before turning back to the boys questioningly.

'Marc's going directly home, but I'm headed into London first. I'd like to see what the train ride is like. We don't have anything like that at Durmstrang,' he lied very hurriedly and hoped that everyone believed him.

Lily gave him an odd look but then shrugged her shoulder and gave him another quick hug before saying goodbye and heading up to her dormitory with Sophie and Gwen.

'I didn't know the Express travelled at night,' James said curiously before also shrugging his shoulders. 'Well, did you want a hand down to the station then Harry? I'm sure the professors wouldn't mind if we escorted you.'

'No, that's alright,' Harry said far too quickly and now got even stranger looks from the Marauders. 'Well we've got to go, so goodbye again and thanks for everything, Take care of the Slytherins while we're away,' Harry called as he and Marc pulled their trunks through the porthole and finally closed the portrait.

One last goodbye to the Fat lady had them dragging their floating trunks down to the entrance hall and then out through the front doors and into the brisk night air. According to Marc's watch, they had six minutes to get in place in front of the Whomping Willow. They hurried across the silent grounds and Harry was worried when it took them a while to find a stick long enough to reach the knot on the willow's trunk. Finally they placed their trunks on the ground next to it and sat on them each with a hand on the tree.

'Are you ready to go home Marc?' Harry asked, wondering if his friend was having any second thoughts.

'Absolutely,' Marc said seriously, 'but to tell you the truth, I think I'm going to miss Sheena a little bit.'

Harry and Marc both laughed out loud at this, Harry feeling tears in his eyes as he tried to keep his hand on the tree trunk.

'Twenty seconds or so,' Marc told him through his laughter and both boys prepared themselves for what would come next.

Unfortunately, they were still laughing too hard to notice three hands slip out from under an invisibility cloak on the other side of the tree and grab hold as the time ran out.


	22. Truth Be Told

**Truth Be Told**

Harry felt the usual tug of a hook behind his navel and felt his feet lift off the ground. He had to hold on to his trunk tightly and was thankful that he sat on it as everything around him began to spin. He could see Marc right next to him, trying his best to hold on to his trunk and he reached out to grab hold of the boy's robes. Marc also grabbed hold of Harry's arm and soon the pair was spinning wildly through darkness.

Finally Harry felt the ground as he and Marc landed in a heap next to their trunks. They were still gripping each other tightly and when Harry opened his eyes he was more than surprised by what he saw. Dumbledore sat behind his desk smiling softly down at them while professor McGonagall stared wide-eyed at them, and Professor Black glared hard at Harry.

Harry and Marc both started to stand but found it difficult when they realised there was something heavy sitting on their legs. Not understanding, Harry reached out and felt his fingers clutch a familiar smooth fabric. Eyes widening in understanding and fear, he pulled back the invisible fabric to reveal Lily, James and Sirius trying to untangled themselves.

'First of all welcome back,' Dumbledore chose this moment to begin speaking, his voice calm as ever as he looked down at the five students in front of him.

'Bloody hell, where are we?' Sirius said, looking around as he and James gave Lily a hand to her feet.

Harry was about to explain himself when he heard a loud thud and found that professor McGonagall had just fainted.

'Oh dear!' Lily cried and rushed over to the old woman, waving her wand and saying 'Enervate!' as she crouched down next to her.

McGonagall's eyes slowly opened and when they focused on Lily's face they widened. Harry thought she was going to lose consciousness again, but she soon regained composure and accepted Lily's hand to stand up.

'Thank you Miss Evans,' she said in a far more brisk voice than was usual. She then turned her eyes away from the girl and watched Dumbledore for a response.

'As I said before, welcome back. And now I suppose it would be welcome forward for three of you. It is not very difficult for me to assume that the three of you grew suspicious of your friends' departure and chose to follow them. Unfortunately I can now inform you that you have followed them into the future. You are now in the year 1998, and both Marc and Harry have quite a lot of explaining to do. I'll have no problem answering your questions in a moment, but for the time being would you three kindly give me a moment with my students? Professor Black will take you into my quarters for a moment.'

Harry watched as his parents and Godfather all looked up quickly to inspect this professor with the last name Black for the first time. He was surprised when they all seemed to recognize her.

'Hyacinth?' Lily shouted, 'Is that you?' Harry was beyond surprised when his mother rushed across the room and wrapped her arms tightly around the severe woman, who suddenly was unsure of what to do.

Professor Black looked torn between returning the hug and pushing this girl away, but simply asked her follow her into the next room. All Harry heard as they followed her out of the office was Lily's voice asking how she had become a Black.

Now Harry and Marc stood alone before the Headmaster and professor McGonagall, who did not look at all pleased.

'You had better explain yourselves right now,' she said, her lips forming one of the thinnest lines they had seen yet.

She was very pale and Harry could tell that no matter what he said there would be no pleasing her. Suddenly he remembered something that would help him and flipped open the latch on his trunk. He carefully lifted out the pensieve and placed it on the Headmaster's desk feeling very glad he had placed the imperturbable on it to prevent spillage.

'I promised you I would return these as soon as I got here sir, but some of them are professor Lupin's as well.'

'Not a problem Harry,' he replied calmly and waved his wand lazily over the contents of the pensieve. Slowly wisps of silver began to rise and reinsert themselves into his mind, each of them disappearing into his long strands of silvery white hair. Harry looked down into the pensieve and found that very little memory remained.

'Now that's better,' the Headmaster said with a smile. 'And have the two of you learned your lesson?'

Harry and Marc could not believe what they were hearing as they nodded their heads fervently.

'You can't be serious Albus. You might have just regained memories of something but I would like an explanation,' McGonagall nearly shouted, and Harry smiled as the Headmaster mumbled something as he waved his wand.

She stopped speaking momentarily and when the Headmaster lowered his wand her eyes widened in shock and she turned back on the boys. 'Portus! Turner! That will be fifty points each and detention until the end of the year,' she said, her face white with rage.

'Minerva,' Dumbledore started quietly. 'I believe we can remove seventy points each and forego the detentions. I believe they have undergone enough punishment as it is, being trapped in the past with no way home. After all, I did place them in History of Magic if you recall.'

McGonagall put up a front of looking stern, but Harry could tell that she was trying her hardest to not look amused with the Headmaster's last comment.

'And boys, I must warn you that if anything were to happen like this again, it would be expulsion,' he added with a serious look on his face.

'We understand,' they both said in unison and received a soft smile from their professors.

'Unfortunately, all is not well. And by this I do not mean that we have three ghosts walking among us once again, but that the Minister knows what you've done and he is far from pleased Harry. You Marcus are lucky, in that you have never been at the receiving end of Cornelius' punishments, but Harry here has had one too many run ins with the Minister.'

'Will I be tried again?' Harry asked weakly, not wanting to think of how long it would be before he ended up in Azkaban.

'I'm afraid so Harry,' he said sadly. 'You know how the Minister feels about you right now, and I warned you specifically not to try and find a way to see your parents. I have convinced the Minister to at least hear your explanation before he alerts the rest of the world, but I'm afraid that is all I can do this time.'

Harry nodded dolefully before asking when.

'I think we best deal with it right away. I'll have to inform him of our guests as well. He will undoubtedly allow them to use my Time Turner to return home immediately. Marcus, would you kindly join the others with professor McGonagall in the other room until we are finished?'

Harry nodded again and watched as Dumbledore threw a pinch of Floo powder onto the flames in his fire grate before calling the Minister's name. The short man's pudgy face appeared in the flames and as soon as they took in Harry's face it disappeared instantly, only to be replaced by a full bodied Minister walking out of the grate.

'Potter! You have really done it this time,' he started right away. 'Not even Dumbledore can help you this time.'

'When is my trial?' Harry asked in a bored voice, simply wanting to hear the inevitable.

'Trial? What trial?' The Minister laughed bitterly. 'You've clearly broken the law as our records show us. Illegal time travel with a Time Turner does not require a trial. It is a minimum and immediate sentence of six months in Azkaban.'

Harry's eyes widened in fear as he heard what the short lime green clad man said. His eyes darted to Dumbledore who continued to sit calmly in his chair and he was confused when Dumbledore stared pointedly at something on the wall. He followed the old wizard's gaze and nearly shot a curse at him when he found nothing but a star chart. How could he be studying a star chart when Harry was about to be sent to Azkaban without trial? Was he completely nutters?

Harry's mind was racing and then finally his eyes landed on something that cleared everything and made him want to thank the Headmaster profusely. In the bottom of the star chart was a group of three days circled in a bright red square: December's full moon cycle.

Harry could not believe that Dumbledore was allowing this, but he calmed himself slightly and looked up at the smug Minister for Magic with a business like look. 

'Minister, do you think that we could just ignore that rule this one time?' he asked politely.

'What?' Fudge said incredulously. 'Are you mad? Never! No more exceptions for you Potter. You will be in Azkaban by the time I have my tea in the morning, and that is final.'

'But Minister,' Harry said, a slight edge in his voice now. 'I don't want to go to Azkaban. It would be far too difficult to see the full moon through the small windows of a cell.'

'What?' Fudge said, suddenly losing all the colour in his face and looking as though he were deflating.

'The full moon,' Harry repeated. 'You know, a werewolf's worst nightmare.'

This was all he needed to say. Fudge immediately went rigid and gave him a wary look before glancing over at Dumbledore who simply continued to stare at the wall serenely.

'Right, well you know Potter, I think you're right. You didn't mean any harm and I'm sure you learned your lesson so perhaps we can keep this between us. I'm assuming you did not change the timeline and therefore there is no need for such drastic punishment.' He waited for Harry's small nod and then gave a last fearful glance in his direction before throwing a pinch of Floo powder onto the flames and disappearing as quickly as he had arrived.

Harry then flopped into an armchair across from the Headmaster and stared at him in disbelief. This was now the second time in two weeks that Dumbledore had allowed him to blackmail Cornelius Fudge. He was not sure of what to say so he settled on a simple thank you. Dumbledore smiled but gave no other sign of having heard him before he started to speak once more.

'Now Harry, I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to. I'm certain that Cornelius will be more than accommodating in sending your Parents home, however I don't feel it such a good idea to inform him that Sirius Black is among us. That would only ask for trouble.'

Harry nodded in agreement. He had not thought of that, what with the prospect of being sent to Azkaban and all.

'We shall give the Minister a few days to adjust before we inform him of their arrival, but until then we must decide how to deal with them. I do not need to tell you what could happen if they learn what has happened to their future selves, however they are bound to find out from the whispers of Hogwarts. I do believe Miss Granger has warned you of the consequences of time travel?'

'Apparently not well enough,' Harry joked, but stopped laughing at the look on the Headmaster's face. 'Sorry sir.'

'For now, Professor Black is informing them of where they are and of some of the recent developments in our time. As you may have noticed, Hyacinth is quite close to all of them, or at least their future selves. Am I correct in assuming you made it to your parents wedding?' he asked curiously.

'Yes sir,' Harry said and had the grace to look ashamed. 'She was one of the bridesmaids,' he said remembering her standing with his mother, Sophie, Gwen and Helena.

'Ah yes, and a beautiful one at that. That was one of my favourite weddings Harry, and while I wish you had not disobeyed me, I am glad you were able to witness it. Lily was absolutely stunning as always, as were her bridesmaids. I'm sad to report that professor Black is the only one of their group left, but I do have a photograph somewhere if you would like it.'

Harry nodded, more than happy to receive a new photograph of his parents. This one would be special as it would have Sophie and Gwen in it as well. He watched as Dumbledore waved his wand and a small rectangle dislodged itself from a shelf above to float down onto the desk.

'Ah yes, one of my favourite photographs,' he said as he held it up and pointed at the waving wedding party for Harry. 'I believe it's the only one of the five of them together. Be sure to keep it from your parents for now Harry, as I'm not certain how Lily would react if she saw a picture with Miss Tryndel, Mrs. Bones and Mrs. Snape. One does not usually do well to hear about friends' passing.'

'What?' Harry said suddenly. 'Mrs. Snape? You mean Chastings?' he corrected the Headmaster.

'No Harry. She was Miss Chastings until she married her husband and became Mrs. Snape. I'm certain I can trust you to keep that to yourself?'

Harry nodded dumbly, stunned by the concept of Snape having a wife, or rather having had a wife. Suddenly he was saddened and looked back up to the Headmaster.

'If you don't mind sir, how did Gwen and Sophie die? I already know about Helena from Professor Moody, but I never knew about the other two.'

Dumbledore sighed heavily and Harry could see the sadness in his eyes. 'I'm afraid our dear Sophie died working for the Order as well, but she was taken quickly after her seventh year. I believe it was only two months after the wedding actually. As for Gwen, I'm afraid it's not my place to tell you Harry.'

Harry nodded and wondered what could have been so terrible that Dumbledore would not tell him.

'As for our guests, I will introduce them to the school in the morning, but I will need several minutes to explain the situation to the students. It is not everyday the parents of the Boy-who-lived and an infamous fugitive return from the dead. As it would be pointless to give famous wizards false names, they shall keep their own, but I will have to charm the Great Hall to prevent any students from spilling the secret to unfriendly ears. It will undoubtedly come as a shock to all of them so I will ask that you accompany them in the morning, and if you do not mind, perhaps you might accompany them to the Room of Requirement for the night.'

'Of course,' Harry answered, not able to believe his luck. Not only did he just avoid a prison sentence, but he was gaining extra time with his parents, and now he could actually tell them a little bit about who he was. It was almost too perfect to be true.

'Is there anything I should know before I start telling them about this time?' Harry asked, wondering if anything had changed in the last month and a half.

'Very little has changed Harry, however, there is a new professor for Muggle Studies,' the Headmaster said sadly, and Harry looked up at him curiously, wondering what had become of the friendly man. 'I'm afraid that professor Windum has left us to join his family in hiding with Arabella. He no longer felt safe despite my reassurances. There is no need to tell our guests that, but do inform them that we have a new professor,' he said with a small grin that Harry found very suspicious.

'Now I'll invite them all back in, and I'll let you explain whatever you wish, but I suggest you start with who you are. They will undoubtedly hear your name and figure it out, so it is probably best that they learn it from you. Do you wish to tell them here?'

'I'd prefer to do it alone actually. Could I tell them in the Room of Requirement sir?'

'Absolutely. Just a moment.'

Harry nodded and took a few breaths to ready himself as Dumbledore stood and walked to ask the others back in. They all entered the round room, and Harry watched as they looked at him expectantly.'

'Harry will accompany you to your room this evening, and there all of your questions will be answered. If you could all kindly follow him, I will see you all in the Great Hall for breakfast.'

Harry said a quick goodnight to Marc and watched as the other professors watched him leave with the three anxious teenagers following closely behind. Apparently, the year was just starting to get interesting.

center

An awkwardly silent walk to the seventh floor ended with the four youths inside the curious room that transformed its appearance at will. The three new arrivals were now seated on their four-posters, James and Sirius looking around the room in shock, while Lily watched Harry quietly.

'Who are you?' she finally asked and this brought the other two back to attention.

Harry looked at her for a moment, no answer in his mind as he had absolutely no clue where to begin. How was he to explain that he was her sixteen year old son from the future, and that he had been lying to her face for the last month and half? He took a deep breath and decided he had better start with some semblance of the truth and allow their questions to bring the rest out of its own accord.

'I'm Harry,' he started with a small smile and then shifted his eyes to his father, 'Harry Potter.'

All three sets of eyes widened significantly as they stared at the boy in front of them, each having thought they knew him quite well.

'What?' James asked in an odd voice. 'How are you a Potter? I'm not related to anyone named Harry, and I think I would have been told if I had a new cousin.'

Harry smiled softly as he watched his father try to reason his way out of the truth, however his eyes told him that he knew what it meant.

'You're nearly nineteen years into the future, and I'm your son.'

Harry watched James stare at him seriously for a few moments, taking in every detail of his face while the other two averted their eyes as to respectfully give him a moment to deal with this news. Harry found it odd to see Sirius acting so unlike himself; normally he would have jumped at the opportunity to destroy the awkwardness with a joke.

'I suppose it makes sense,' he finally said. 'After all, you look far too much like me to not be related to me. I don't know how I didn't figure it out before. So, what can you tell your ol' dad about yourself, other than you're dead good at Quidditch? Obviously came from me,' he said and nudged Sirius with a grin.

Harry could not believe how well he was taking this. He did not do so well when he and Marc had found out they were stuck in the past, and he had not met a family member that he did not know.

'Wait, so you're telling me that you've gone to Hogwarts all this time, and you really are a Gryffindor?' Sirius chimed in all of a sudden.

'I'm afraid so,' Harry answered. 'No Durmstrang for me. But Marc really did go to Durmstrang. He only transferred to Hogwarts this year.'

'So I'll assume he's not really called Turner is he?' Lily asked, a coldness to her voice as she watched him for his answer.

Harry shook his head. 'No, he's really Marcus Evans. Professor Dumbledore came up with our names after the devices we used to get to your time. I'd used a Time Turner and he had activated a Portkey at the same time. Apparently the two don't coincide and that's how we ended up with you lot. Oh, don't worry. No relation to you Lily, just a coincidence,' he added at seeing the questioning look on his mother's face.

'This really explains a lot you know,' Sirius said now. 'I mean, the way you knew your way so well around the castle and how you found Gryffindor tower on your first night. Not to mention the way you knew about the Marauders.' He laughed then and slapped James on the back. 'Well Prongs, looks like there's someone else who knows you about as well as I do. Good luck with that.'

'I wouldn't speak too soon Sirius. After all, you are my Godfather.' He smiled again at seeing the grin fall off the long-haired boy's face and plaster itself onto his father's.

'Well, I guess this explains why you defended these two so often,' Lily said while rolling her eyes. 'I should have known you had a reason other than their being your friends.'

Harry took a deep breath now, as he knew he had the worst parts coming. He would have to tell James and Lily who his mother was, and then he would have to tell Sirius that in this time he had been a convicted felon. Then worst of all he would have to explain to them all that they were no longer alive.

'Alright. Dumbledore is allowing me to stay the night in here, until he can introduce you all to the school in the morning. I'll try and prepare you for what you'll see, but you need to understand that it will be difficult.' He could already feel tears welling in his eyes and looked upward to try and keep them at bay. All three faces watched him curiously; incapable of knowing what would come next. 'Tomorrow morning when we walk into the Great Hall, you will all need to expect a ton of shocked faces and awkward pointing.'

'We're not that bad looking,' Sirius said with a laugh, but stopped at the looks he received from James and Lily.

'Actually, there isn't a witch or wizard in this time who does not know your names intimately. James, you'll be the easiest to spot as you look just like me, so you should expect the works.'

'What, am I the world's best dad or something? Don't tell me I'm a professor at Hogwarts,' he added and looked at Harry warily.

Harry blinked a few more times and at this point watched as Lily flung a hand to her mouth and then walked over to sit next to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded in understanding and looked up at James carefully.

'Do you not remember what he told professor Prynell about his parents that day in class?' she said and watched sadly at the horrified expression on his and Sirius' faces.

'How?' was all he could say in a hushed voice a moment later.

Harry thought for a moment, not wanting to reveal everything to him, but deciding that no matter what Dumbledore would surely alter their memories before sending them home. He stared hard at James before finally answering him by starting at the beginning.

'First you should know that since I was a year old, I've been the most famous wizard in Britain, only I didn't know it until five years ago. Just before I was born a prophecy was made about me that claimed a wizard would be born at the end of July who would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord.' All three listeners gasped quietly.

'On Halloween night two years after you graduated, Voldemort came to Godric's Hollow and tried to persuade you to join him.'

'What?' James nearly shouted, disgust written all over his face. 'I would never-'

'You didn't,' Harry cut him off and then looked away, blinking several more times to hide his brimming tears.

James looked unsure of what to say so he merely nodded solemnly.

'Next he went upstairs to kill me, but my mother being the clever witch that she was fooled him. She put on a show of begging for my life, and trying to have him take her in my place. When she died, a magical protection spell was thus in place and when Voldemort turned the Avada Kedavra on me it rebounded and took him instead. Ever since that night I've been known as the boy-who-lived and the only person to survive the killing curse.'

Harry now stared at his three friends and waited to see if they would say anything, possibly think he was lying and start to laugh. He wished they would, as it would be better than the looks of astonishment and pity he was seeing.

'Who was she?' James asked then. 'Who was your mother?'

'I'm sitting next to her,' Harry said and watched the shocked look on both of their faces, and the small grin on Sirius'.

Lily quickly recovered and was now shaking her head, obviously not ready to learn that she was married to James Potter and that she would die in three years time. James was still simply staring at the red-head with surprise.

'Yes,' Harry said now placing a hand on her shoulder for support. 'Because of what you did mum, I lived, and Voldemort disappeared that night. Because of your willingness to take my place, Voldemort stayed away for nearly thirteen years. I'm afraid he had returned now, but I'll explain that later. All you need to know for now is that the spell your love created that night has kept me safe from him on more than one occasion.'

She stared at him, tears now filling her eyes as she slowly nodded. A second later she had flung her arms around him and tears were openly falling down her face as he hugged her back tightly. Harry took a few moments to allow them to collect themselves before going on.

'I know this hasn't been easy, but I'm afraid there's more. You're going to have it the worst tomorrow,' he said and looked over to Sirius.

'What? Why am I famous?' he asked carefully, wondering if perhaps he had done something similar to what his friends had.

'Actually, you're more infamous than anything. I'm really sorry Sirius, but the entire wizarding community knows your name because you're the first wizard to have escaped Azkaban.'

If it were possible, Harry would have said that the looks on everyone's faces were more shocked now than ever before.

'What? You can't be serious,' he said disbelievingly. 'I would never land myself in Azkaban.'

'I know this probably won't help, but you were innocent all along. The night my parents were killed,' he said quietly as he started to explain the circumstances of Sirius' imprisonment, 'you were known as their secret keeper, meaning that you were the traitor who sold them out to Voldemort.'

'I would never do that!' Sirius shouted, getting to his feet and breathing heavily as he stared angrily at Harry.

'I know. But you and James agreed at the last minute to switch secret keepers from you to Peter, thinking you were too obvious a choice. Unfortunately you didn't tell anyone and when Peter ran straight to Voldemort, everyone had to assume it was you. Let me finish,' Harry said as Sirius started to shout again.

'You found James and Lily in the ruble at Godric's Hollow and immediately went to confront Peter. He was ready for this, and for the first moment of brilliance in his life, he staged his own murder and killed a street full of Muggles before leaving you to be found by Aurors. You didn't even get a trial,' he finished in a whisper.

Sirius was clearly upset by this news but seemed to calm down rather quickly and looked up with a bit of hope on his face.

'Well, at least I get out,' he said. 'Have they apprehended Peter yet?' he asked now.

'No, there's still no proof that he's alive.'

'Well, no matter,' Sirius said determinedly, 'I'm sure I won't rest until I've caught the dirty rat.'

Harry looked down now, the pain of his Godfather's death still relatively fresh. Sirius saw this and exhaled deeply shaking his head slowly.

'I'm so sorry Sirius,' Harry said and he could feel hot tears streaming down his face. 'Voldemort somehow gives me fake nightmares and I thought he had captured you. I went to the department of Mysteries this summer with a group of friends to try and rescue you but it was trap. We all would have died if Dumbledore and a group called the Order of Phoenix had not saved us. It's because of me that you came out of hiding. It's because of me that you died.'

For the first time in his life, Harry saw tears welling in his Godfather's eyes and it made his own tears fall harder.

'Did you shoot the curse that killed me Harry?' Sirius said next, and Harry shook his head. 'No. Then don't blame yourself. You did what you had to thinking you would save my life. While foolish, I have to say no one's ever done anything so blatantly dangerous to save my life. I'm glad that you thought so highly of me.' Harry nodded but said nothing at first.

'It was Bellatrix,' he said quietly, and waited for the expected response and was surprised when it did not come.

Sirius simply clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes in obvious disgust as he dealt with this news.

'And Remus? What's become of him?' James asked, desperate to finish the tales of the deaths of the Marauders.

Harry smiled slowly at this, happy for a chance to deliver some good news. 'Actually, he's very much alive and about as healthy as a werewolf can be. You see they've found a potion to stop him losing his mind during the transformations. It's made a huge difference he says, and now I know first hand. When you two were in detention, I brewed it and spent the last full moon with him. He knew everything.'

Everyone nodded their understanding and James said something along the lines of 'should've known.'

'Your deaths have affected him greatly, and more recently, yours has left him extremely down hearted. He's only had you back for two years knowing the truth. I'm certain he'll be thrilled to see you all.'

They all smiled widely at this, and grinned even wider when Harry told them he had been the Defense professor during his third year. They continued to talk and ask questions late into the night, all of which Harry answered the best he could. He was so excited to tell them all about his friends in this time, suddenly realising how very much he wanted to see Ron and Hermione. It was only a matter of hours before he would see Ron's annoyed face, upset at being left behind, and Hermione's stern and disappointed look; he could not wait.

A rather funny yet awkward moment had arisen when Harry explained where he had been sent after his parents' deaths. James had asked if Remus had taught him to fly at a young age, clearly explaining his skills, but Harry had laughed and told him that he had not ridden a broomstick until his first year at Hogwarts. All three friends were shocked so Harry went on to explain that he did not know about his being a wizard until Hagrid came to retrieve him.

'How could you not know you were wizard?' James asked incredulously, absolutely bewildered by the thought.

'Well, Dumbledore sent me to live with my aunt and uncle in the Muggle world and they told me that you two had died in a car accident. That's also how they explained my scar. If it hadn't been for my Hogwarts letter, I never would have found out.'

'Are you telling me that Dumbledore sent you to live with my sister and her oaf of a husband Dursley?' Lily said, a look on her face that clearly expressed her displeasure. 'And that they lied to you about me and your fath, uh James?' she quickly caught herself.

'Yes, but it was for my own protection,' Harry said, and then went on to explain the protection he had from his aunt's proximity.

'How is Petunia?' Lily asked next, and Harry was surprised to see that she sounded very much interested in her sister's well being despite her obvious dislike of Vernon. 'We all think she made a mistake in marrying that idiot Dursley, but I suppose if she loves him,' she trailed off. 'They just married last spring and didn't even invite us. Mum was really upset.'

'Well, I'm not sure,' he started awkwardly, never having been asked this question before. 'I suppose she's alright. She and Uncle Vernon had a baby when the two of you had me. His name's Dudley and I'm not quite sure how to describe him. Up until this summer the two of us only spoke when he wanted me to make something to eat or if he and his friends were pushing me around. I found it odd that all of a sudden he would ,make such a turn around but then I found out from a neighbour that aunt Petunia's pregnant.'

'What?' Lily asked, sounding just as surprised as he had been when he first found out.

'I was shocked too, but then I nearly died of when she was born in August. You'll never believe it, but she's a witch!' he said dramatically and waited for their surprised expressions but found none. 'A witch,' he said again but found that Lily only seemed slightly bothered. 'How's that for irony? She spent eleven years hiding the wizarding world from me and then when I did find out she and uncle Vernon tried to keep me from coming to Hogwarts and telling me what a freak I am.'

'She did what?' Lily said, finally sounding upset.

'She told me that I was freak just like my parents and that they would not allow me to go. If Hagrid had not come for me I never would have been allowed. Unfortunately, I have to go back every summer, but at least now Dudley's there to keep me company. That reminds me, I should write him tomorrow before I forget again.'

James and Lily watched the dark-haired boy in front of them in wonder; he so quickly changed the subject from something they both found horrifyingly disturbing to something of everyday normality with such ease that it was astounding. It was clear that the boy was different and that he had been through a lot. Neither said anything at that point, but secretly they both wished they could help him.

Harry spent approximately two uninterrupted hours describing in as much detail as he felt was crucial, the events that had occurred during each of his Hogwarts years. Lily, James and Sirius were still quite shocked that anyone could have lived through the killing curse, let alone escape Voldemort a total of five times by the age of fifteen.

The three visitors had all been extremely interested with the news of the Tri-Wizard Tournament; Lily wanting to hear more about the challenges, and James about the Champions. Sirius on the other hand was very interested in hearing about the female Champion.

Another burst of excitement rushed through his body as Harry thought of seeing Fleur again, however this was soon replaced by anxiety as he hoped that she had not moved on while he was gone. He decided to describe her best he could to the group but to leave out that she and himself were actually an item. He figured he could save a lot of personal embarrassment this way, and then if things still worked out for the best he would also get to see the priceless look on Sirius' face.

He explained to them that Fleur was now Professor Flitwick's assistant and could see the excitement on Sirius' face at the prospect of meeting a part Veela. Then he explained that there was also a new Muggle Studies professor, but that Dumbledore had not told him who it was. Harry decided not to explain the reason for Professor Windum's departure, hoping that perhaps the need would not arise during their brief stay.

Harry found himself conflicted when he saw the reactions on the three of their faces whenever he mentioned Pettigrew. They had all looked completely surprised when he first revealed the rat's true allegiance, however, a bitter hatred was now showing on both James and Sirius' faces when Harry spoke of Voldemort's resurrection. Surprisingly, neither boy had once defended the small boy or even mentioned that they found it unbelievable for Peter to do something of such magnitude.

Harry knew that Wormtail deserved to be hated for what he had done, and that his parents had every right to hate him for his betrayal, but he was still bothered by how hurt they looked underneath. He knew for certain that he would go mad at learning that Ron or Hermione had sold him out to the Dark Lord but felt relieved that something like that would never happen; they were his best friends.

Soon enough Lily, James and Sirius had a basic understanding of who Harry James Potter was and why exactly he had been so very important to the wizarding world. They still did not know about the prophecy, but Harry decided that if Ron and Hermione did not know that, there was still no way he could tell his parents. When they finally gave into sleep, Harry closed his eyes and felt at ease for the first time in years, knowing that in the beds all around him were his family.

cenbter

'Alright, we need to get down there soon,' Harry told the newest members of Hogwarts the next morning.

The three boys were still getting dressed lazily, each of them having slept in quite a bit and were now bordering on being late. Lily had been in the lavatory for quite some time, presumably getting herself ready for another day of lessons and rule-abiding. Harry decided that she and Hermione would get along quite well.

Finally Lily reentered the main dormitory and all four of them were ready to leave. Harry and James studied their looks for a moment and James reached up to try and flatten Harry's hair a bit.

'Don't bother,' Harry said with a grin. 'It'll be funnier this way. Now we really look like twins.'

James and Sirius laughed, and Harry was pleased to see that even Lily was laughing quietly as she shook her head to his left. The group let themselves out of the Room of Requirement and made their way quickly down to the entrance hall where they stopped in front of the closed Great Hall doors. Harry listened for a moment and could hear the Headmaster's voice speaking to the entire student body. He could tell that the old wizard was nearly done his speech so he turned to give the three visitors a reassuring smile. They all returned it and he felt relieved.

Truth be told, Harry was actually feeling more nervous for himself than for his parents and Godfather. While they would obviously have quite a lot to deal with, he was still unsure of how to explain himself to everyone. He had been gone for a month and a half without a trace and suddenly he would reappear with three people dead to their time. At least it would be interesting.

'Ready?' Harry asked them one last time as he heard Dumbledore's voice calling them in, and as they nodded the large doors opened and the four students strode in side by side.

Not a second after they had entered the hall, a loud gasp filled the air and the chatter began to fly around the room. Harry smiled and tried not to look nervous as he walked to the staff table with his father and Sirius to his right and his mother to his left. As he looked to the house tables, he was surprised to see many students not chattering but still simply staring silently in shock and disbelief at what they were seeing.

Harry's smile widened into a grin and he waved as his eyes fell upon Ron's lopsided grin and the first smile he had seen on Hermione's face in months. Perhaps after all they had been through, she would forgive him now. He was slightly confused by the look they were both giving him now though. Ron kept signalling toward the staff table with his eyes, and when Harry looked up to the Professors he found out why.

The look on Snape's face was one he had never seen before. The man's sallow skin had paled further and was now easily the colour of the hospital wing walls. His eyes seemed to be glazed over as he stared clearly at Lily and Harry suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the greasy-haired man. If he did not know any better he would have guessed that Snape was about to faint or be sick.

He soon learned that his friends had not been signalling Snape's behaviour, when he turned to his mother to see if she had noticed the man that he had forgotten to mention was a professor. Harry was completely caught off guard and felt his legs wobble underneath him as she shouted a name he never thought he would hear uttered in Hogwarts and darted toward her robe-clad figure.

'Petunia!'


	23. Then There Were Three

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A/N: **Hello everyone! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, though I don't think it's quite up to par with the rest of them. Oh well … can't have them all be wonderful right? Lol Unfortunately I must admit to a blunder with the Prewett twins. They are indeed at least three to five years older and their role is now being changed in my editing process. (students returned to be flying instructors, but really working for Dumbledore's initial Order … or something like that.) If anyone has a better idea please let me know. I haven't changed it yet and I really don't want to take them completely out; they're too much fun : D That is why they are referenced to as older in this chapter. Sorry about the inconvenience. Let me know what you think of the rest, and I hope you enjoy it. Kyle : D Take care. 

**Babies are yummy: **Well, then I suggest you bring your baby diet back up! Lol Glad you enjoyed it : D

**Thespare617: **Hey! Thanks for reviewing and I'm happy you like it so far. I didn't want to use time travel as a plot device but I did want to include it; that's why the plot started before and will now continue long after it ends : D Take care.

**Nightwing509: **I'm glad you liked the Marauders time-travelling and thrilled you were surprised by Petunia's presence at Hogwarts. : D Kyle

**Rivenn: **Thanks … and sounds good: D

**Lehcar Sundance: **Sorry to leave you hanging like that ; D hopefully this will help you a bit? Take care, Kyle.

**Hands Off**: LOL! I can hardly answer that! ; D I hope this chapter doesn't leave you too angry with me; it does not fully explain even close to well enough why Petunia is there. All in due time : D Kyle

**Magicgirl45852: Thanks **for reviewing. I'm sure you'll review again to make up for the one you missed ; D j/k

**SlytherinFan15: **Yuppers! Petunia is the MS Prof. I can't very well tell you how Dumbledore persuaded her, and who said that Vernon didn't have a stroke? Lol! Unfortunately I didn't write Remus' reaction, finding little room for it with the younger characters mainly concerned. Now with several requests, I will eventually go back and edit a passage or two to include his meeting with the old friends. I agree that it would be horrible to learn about your fate if you were murdered! Take it easy and happy summer! (Are you done yet!) Kyle** : D**

**RavenclawwitchAlejandra: **Thank you! Always nice to hear something like that : D

**Williams: Thanks **so much! I'm disappointed to say that this chap is not even close to as good as usual, but a few after it are, so please don't think the rest is downhill. : D Take care, Kyle.

**Volleypickle16: I **agree! I'm off for two weeks … so here I go: D

**Scooter McPeepee: **Hey! Hope you got my email. Thanks for reading and reviewing, and I hope to hear from you again. Take care, Kyle : D

**Totally strange**: I'll tell you what to do with your suggestions! LOL! J/k Yes, I know you like the responses and I love to give them as well. Only lately with exam review and end of term I had to choose either a chapter with no responses or no update at all. You saw what won in the end : D I'll try and make sure it does not happen again. Take care and review me up friend : D Kyle.

**Christa Potter: **You must be the sweetest reviewer I have ever had! Every time I read one of your reviews I can't help but smile. Thanks! I'm glad you think it's getting better every chapter, so please don't mind if this one is a little off. It does get better … I promise.

**Arlbeth: Hahah! **You've got some great predictions, but no! Not yet anyhow : D Kyle

**LilJbg: **Hey! Thanks for the awesome review and I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so far. So sorry I didn't show Lupin's reaction but when I edit I will and then re-post the chap. Sorry bout that. Take care and I hope to hear from you again : D Kyle

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**Queen-of-monkey-magic: **Hehe! Gald to hear it! I especially enjoyed the end myself! same wide grin

**Truffletruffle01: Is **it a good unexpected? I sure hope so…lol. : D

**Sweetistkiss: **Hey! No problem about not reviewing .. you're here now right? I'm not sure what you meant with the last bit of the review. If you could tell me again that'd be awesome : D Kyle

**Ender74361**: Hey! Long time no chat, lol! I hope school went well for you, and be sure to update your story some day … I do want to finish it you know : D I'm glad you caught on to the marauders time travel; No one else noticed the time repeating itself thing. I figured more than one person would ask themselves "what happened last time they relied on a portkey?" lol. Well done my friend!

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Chapter 23: Then There Were Three

Harry watched in utter surprise as Lily rushed the rest of the way to the staff table and reached over to hug her older sister. If he was feeling shocked, and he was, Harry hoped it was not showing the way it was on Petunia's face.

The dark-haired woman not only looked completely out of place in witch's attire but was now half sitting and half standing in an obviously awkward hug from a sister whom she believed to be dead until not two minutes ago. The word uncomfortable did not seem the word to describe the situation; it was far worse than that.

Lily finally let go of her sister and all of the heads in the Great Hall once again followed the red-haired girl back to her place next to the boy-who-lived. Harry would have felt slightly red around the collar at the extra attention, however at the moment he was finding himself slightly distracted by the presence of his Muggle aunt once again sitting at the professor's table. It took him several moments, but he finally managed to speak.

'Aunt Petunia?' he started slowly. 'What are you doing at Hogwarts?'

It was a very simple question with a very obvious answer, but Harry wanted to know why she was really there. There was no way she could even begin to convince him that she was there of her own volition or that Dumbledore could not find another candidate anywhere on the free earth. Why of all people was Petunia Dursley consorting with his so-called kind?

'I do believe the Headmaster has explained to you the situation with my predecessor,' the familiar snippy tone began tersely. 'A school cannot function properly without proper staff.'

She said this in her regular haughty voice, her chin pointed upward and a look of superiority on her face. Harry suddenly felt as though he were back at the Dursley's rather than in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

'And I really don't believe I need to explain myself to you Mister Potter,' she said now, her voice more condescending than he had ever heard before. She was really going to love being a professor apparently.

'From now on you will be referring to her as Professor Dursley, Potter,' Snape's voice suddenly sounded from the other end of the table and Harry narrowed his eyes at the man when he saw the smug look on his aunt's face; she did not need help in belittling him.

At this point Harry did not know what to do. He felt overloaded with new information and revelations that he simply could not handle. Luckily his father and Sirius both distracted the rest of the students by suddenly noticing the owner of the last voice.

'Snivellus?' they both shouted with a mixture of amusement and disgust as they stared up at Snape.

Harry had never seen so much colour enter the Potion Master's face, and he began to worry if the man would be ill. Red blotches began to appear as he tried to control his anger and very obviously failed. For an instant Harry thought there would be a confrontation as he spotted Snape's hand dip under the table for his wand.

'Misters Potter and Black,' Dumbledore's firm yet congenial voice interrupted what would have been a disaster. 'You will refer to our Potion's Master as Professor Snape and I expect you to treat him with as much respect as you would any other professor in the castle. I am certain that he will do the same in return,' he added with a glance at Snape who looked as though he was fighting hard to bite his tongue before nodding in assent.

'I'm sure he will,' Sirius said under his breath and then quickly apologised at the look on the Headmaster's face.

Every student sat quietly now, watching these odd interactions and still having trouble believing what they had witnessed in the first half hour of their morning. Dumbledore quickly announced that the three guests would only be staying until the end of term and that since they had all been Gryffindors in their time, they would remain Gryffindors in this one.

As soon as Dumbledore began to take his seat, Harry rushed toward the Gryffindor table with the newcomers and they took their seats in the nearest vacant spots along the bench next to Ron.

'How are you mate?' Ron immediately said, and reached forward for a one armed hug, only to be thrown off his seat as Hermione lunged in front of him and clung to Harry.

'I'm so sorry Harry!' She was crying and Harry could feel the tears through the thick strands of hair obscuring his view. 'I was so worried about you, and I thought I'd never see you again,' she continued to wail. 'After the last thing I said to you I nearly passed out when Ron told me you had disappeared. Oh I'm so glad you're safe.'

Harry smiled. He did not want Hermione to cry but he was extremely relieved that they would be friends again. That was at least one thing that could be removed from his list of terrible, he thought as he patted her back consolingly.

'It's alright Hermione. I'm safe and I actually had a really great time. Think of it as a holiday if that helps,' he suggested, shooting an unsure glance at both Ron and Marc.

At this she stepped back and unexpectedly punched him in the arm. He winced and threw a hand up to rub his arm; she had a surprisingly strong hook.

'A holiday?' she shouted now, any signs of sadness or worry completely gone. 'Do you know how much trouble you could have been in? How many times have I warned you about time travel Harry? How many? I cannot believe that after everything we've been through, you would still do something as idiotic as that for a holiday.'

'Hermione?' Harry said loudly, wondering where on earth the sympathetic Hermione had gone. 'Lower your voice, we have company.'

The bushy-haired girl stopped speaking at once and turned slightly red as she looked up into the faces of Lily, James and Sirius. Each of them was watching this interaction with expressions of amusement and bewilderment.

'Hermione Granger,' Hermione said politely, sobering and holding out her hand for each of them to shake in turn. Sirius considered it for a moment before shaking her hand and Harry laughed at his comment about her quick change of emotions, and how he worried she might hit him as well.

'Lily Evans,' Lily said as she shook Hermione's hand. 'I think we'll get along just fine.' Harry and James both rolled their eyes.

Ron stood up to introduce himself as well and James was first to recognize his last name.

'You're not Arthur's son are you?' he asked. 'He went to Hogwarts several years ahead of me but I remember the name. We're good friends with his wife's older brothers.'

They all took their seats again as Ginny and Neville began to introduce themselves, but Harry was unable to stay put as he was suddenly pulled back out of his seat and pulled into a tight embrace. His vision was once again obscured by hair, only this time it was not bushy and brown, but silky and blonde. Fleur held him tightly for a moment before kissing him on the cheek and stepping back to give him the once over.

Harry went red again at having everyone see her kiss him. The looks Sirius and James gave him certainly did not help the situation either.

''ow are you 'arry? I was so worried. Dumbledore told me you were safe but I deed not know how long you would be gone and I deed not know what to do,' she said and then gave him another hug.

Harry hugged her back warmly this time and felt all of his worries slip away. He did not notice the grimace from Snape or the watchful gaze from Professor Black, and he made a point not to even notice Professor Dursley. They broke apart again and then Harry sat back down on the bench and scooted over enough to make room for his girlfriend, who gladly joined him.

'Sirius, James, Lily. This is Fleur Delacour. Fleur, meet my parents and my Godfather.'

For a moment silence hung over the crowd of gathered students, and then as one the entire table broke out into laughter. Of all the things that he had ever said, Harry decided that that was probably one of the most unusual. But then again, Hogwarts really was an unusual place.

A half hour later, Harry was beginning to feel as though things were back to normal, except of course for Petunia being at Hogwarts. The presence of his parents and Godfather did not seem the least bit odd, and truthfully he would have felt worse had they not been there. After a month and a half in the past, Harry had already become accustomed to seeing them everyday and would miss them sorely once they left. The only thing missing now was Remus.

He had found it odd that the cleverest Marauder would not have turned up yet to see his old friends and to see that Harry and Marc were alright, but he understood completely when Ron explained that he had been off doing work for the Order for nearly two weeks now. It would surely be a surprise to him when he got back to the castle.

Harry told Marc that they would go for a walk later that evening after dinner, before the boy left for classes with Ginny and he said goodbye to Fleur. She asked him to meet her outside the entrance to her quarters during the next break and he agreed before kissing her on the cheek and heading to Transfiguration with his increasingly large group of friends.

The group of Gryffindors walked along the second floor corridor until they were met by Parvati, Lavender, Dean and Seamus, also on their way to class. It appeared that McGonagall could still feel pride in knowing that every sixth year Gryffindor in the castle was in her advanced class. Parvati ran up and gave Ron a quick peck on the lips before stringing her arm through his and chatting excitedly about their last Quidditch match. Things had apparently picked up between the pair in Harry's absence.

The instant the words Quidditch left her lips James and Sirius perked up dramatically and went off telling the story of how Harry and Marc had played their positions and won one of the most exciting games in years. Ron was hanging on every word and looked as though Christmas had come early for him, but Lily and Hermione both remained at the back of the pack, making clucking noises with their tongues and Hermione giving Harry a very disapproving look. Harry was already beginning to regret letting the two girls meet.

The eleven eager Gryffindors entered the Transfiguration classroom moments later and laughed at the surprised looks on the other students' faces at seeing them all come to class together. Even McGonagall smiled slightly at seeing their high spirits when facing an hour and a half of class.

It took a moment for the students to sort themselves into pairs, as Harry had instinctively headed for the front seat to sit with Lily as he had done for the past month or so, and Ron immediately sat with Parvati as he had apparently grown accustomed to doing. Neville was now partnered with Lavender, and James and Sirius were obviously partners just as Dean and Seamus were. This left Hermione without a partner until she quickly asked Susan Bones to work with her, and though the lesson was soon underway, Harry could not help but notice the distance between his two closest friends. Had they not made up the entire time he was gone?

Today's lesson was already getting into the Metamorphmagi training manual. One student from each pair was to read the directions from the appropriate section in Mrs. Tonks' text about the mind clearing exercises and the other was to follow them. Harry had already covered this material long before the term had begun so he let Lily practice for the entire period rather than switch halfway through. He found her getting distracted often though, staring at his scar with a sadness that made him slightly uncomfortable.

Nearly half an hour into the lesson, Professor McGonagall was making her rounds and commenting on the level of participation and progress of the students when something unpredictable happened.

'Very nice work Mister Thomas,' she said and gave Seamus a wary look before moving on. 'You must keep your eyes closed Mister Weasley, else it will not work.' Parvati giggled at this and McGonagall rolled her eyes before moving on. 'Very good Miss Granger. You and Miss Bones make quite the team,' she said with the faintest of smiles and a nod of approval.

'Bones?' Lily said and her eyes flew open to land on Susan. 'Your last name is Bones?'

Harry realised too late where she was going with her line of questioning and the inevitable shock that followed could only be described as unfortunate.

'Yes, that's right. Susan Bones. Why do you ask?' Susan asked slowly, seeming both intrigued and reluctant to speak to this girl who had apparently appeared from the past.

'You wouldn't be Helena and Edgar Bones' daughter would you?' she asked and did not register the look of shock on Susan's face as she nodded.

'This is incredible,' Lily said excitedly and turned to see the amused looks on James and Sirius' faces as well. 'How is Helena? She and I are the greatest of friends in my time. I would very much like to see how she turned out. Do you think she would agree to visit if I sent an owl?'

In her excitement of meeting one of her best friends' daughters, Lily did not notice many of the students around her lifting their hands to their mouths and the teary expression on Susan's face. Hermione quickly chose to diffuse the situation by asking Professor McGonagall if they could be excused and the stern woman nodded quickly and gave Susan a sympathetic look before turning back to Lily and Harry and asking them to join her in the corridor.

Lily followed them into the hallway, completely confused as to what was happening, and stared expectantly at the older version of her Transfiguration professor.

'What did I do Professor? Did I offend her in some way?'

McGonagall gave her a weary look before telling her that she and Harry should speak about it and getting a confirmation from Harry. She suggested they speak in the common room and that they need not worry about the lesson today. Still puzzled as ever, Lily nodded and followed her raven-haired son back to the third floor and into their common room.

'Are you going to tell me what's going on Harry, or am I going to have to hurt you?' Lily finally asked in a half joking tone, still slightly bewildered by Susan's earlier actions.

Once they were comfortably seated, Harry reached into his robes pocket where the photograph Dumbledore had given him the night before remained.

'Dumbledore said that I probably shouldn't show this to you but I figure it's too late now,' he said as he handed it over to her.

She grabbed it quickly and the look of confusion on her face melted away to one of surprise and then happiness. She stared at the photograph with a soft smile for the longest while before speaking.

'It looks perfect,' she said quietly.

'It was,' Harry replied with a soft smile. 'I was there. That's how I ended up in your time. I wanted nothing more than to see the happiest day of your lives, and instead I got more than I bargained for. That was taken on Halloween after your seventh year.'

Lily nodded.

'This is really special. We always said that we would be together forever. The four Miss': Evans, Chastings, Tryndel and Snarkett. It's good to see we're all still friends here. I can't believe Hyacinth came too. Mind you, she's a traitor.'

'What?' Harry said, suddenly caught off guard by Lily's accusatory words. He braced himself on the chair's edge as he stared down at her in surprise. She simply laughed.

'She's a traitor. She got married to that brother of Black's. I always assumed Helena would be the first to marry but it looks like Hyacinth and I both beat her to it.'

She laughed again and Harry let out a sigh of relief. He had to explain to Lily that of the five women in the picture, the only one of them left alive is the one that she had so accurately painted as a traitor. He decided he would explain the deaths to her, but he could not find it in him to tell her that her remaining close friend was a Death Eater.

Lily watched as he shifted uncomfortably in his armchair and opened his mouth several times in an attempt to speak without success. It was not until the third time he had raked his hand through his hair nervously that she stopped him.

'What is it Harry?' she asked with a small chuckle. 'Go on. You can tell me,' she prompted. 'I mean, last night you told me I was your mother and that I'm dead; I think I can handle it.'

At these words her eyes widened in realisation and she began to shake her head.

'No. No it's not true. Helena's just fine,' she said loudly. 'I'll prove it. I'll send her an owl.'

Harry watched with tears in his eyes as Lily got to her feet and went to the nearest supplies lying on the table under the window. She grabbed the nearest quill and started to scribble on a bit of scrap parchment, breaking the nib and sloshing the ink all over the table top.

'I'm so sorry Lily,' Harry said getting to his feet and walking over to where she was crouched over the table, indifferent to the ink that pooled beside her. 'I'm sorry, but she can't answer you. And neither can Gwen or Sophie,' he added quietly.

Lily dropped the broken quill and stared up at him with teary, disbelieving eyes. His last words had hit her hard and she nearly fell to the ground. Harry caught her swiftly and steered her to the nearest armchair where she immediately sunk into its cushions. Harry sat back in the chair across from her and the pair sat quietly for the next little while before Lily finally spoke. She was staring intensely at the picture in her hands, as though debating something in her mind, and Harry tried hard to keep on a brave face while he watched tears run freely down his mother's face.

'When and how?' was all she asked.

'Are you sure you want to know?' Harry asked cautiously, careful to not make the delicate situation worse than it already was.

'Just tell me please.'

'Sophie was first. She was killed two months after that photograph was taken,' he said and watched the horrified expression on Lily's face.

'No! She was so young,' Lily sobbed and looked back up at Harry so that he might deliver the rest.

'Helena died three years later. She and Edgar were killed with nearly their entire family by Death Eaters. Amelia and Helena's daughter Susan are the only Bones' left.'

'The poor girl,' Lily said. 'I can't believe I brought Helena up in the middle of class. She must hate me. I should have thought before speaking. How was I to know what had happened?' she started to rant.

'You couldn't have known. It's not your fault,' Harry said. 'Now why don't you go up to your dormitory and get some rest? You'll feel better after a nap. Or maybe I could bring you to see Madam Pomfrey?'

'What of Gwen?' she asked now determinedly, catching Harry's attempt to end the conversation and he sighed. He did not know what had happened; only that she had died.

'I'm sorry, but I don't know. Dumbledore told me that it wasn't his place to tell me and I had to respect that.'

'Then whose place is it?' Lily nearly shouted. 'She was my absolute best friend in this world Harry, and I deserve to know!'

'I wouldn't recommend it,' he started slowly, 'but if you're dead set on knowing then you should talk to her husband. I would have but we really can't stand one another,' Harry said slowly, letting his eyes fall to the floor under the red-head's angry gaze.

'You don't mean Severus?' she asked, her eyes suddenly widening.

Harry nodded and then looked on in surprise as his mother jumped up out of her seat and rushed toward the porthole.

'Thanks Harry. I'll talk to you later,' she called over her shoulder, and before he could even consider stopping her, she was long gone.

Harry spent the next period in Charms class barely paying attention and thinking of nothing but how hurt Lily must be feeling. He hated that he had to be the one to tell her about her friends' death and he felt terrible that the only person who could help her with her problem was Severus Snape.

He ran idea after idea on how to cheer her up through his head, pointedly ignoring Hermione's constant nagging to pay attention, until he was forced to attention when a curse shot past his face. After a moment's confusion, Harry looked around the classroom and began to laugh with the rest of the students at what had happened.

James and Sirius had decided to try and catch tiny professor Flitwick off guard once more, even after the wizard had had nearly twenty years of tranquility. Luckily, the old man did not need to be prepared as Hermione was far quicker with a wand than both James and Sirius, and quickly placed a shield charm around the Charms professor and his pile of books. The curse that shot past Harry's head had been her punishment for the boys in the form of 'Petrificus Totalus.'

Now both James and Sirius lay prone on the floor, rigid as a board, with the entire class and their main target laughing at them.

'Very nice work Miss Granger!' Flitwick chirped his approval as he stared down to the floor at his would-be attackers. 'Very nice indeed.'

Harry let out a sigh of relief; some days really were alright.

When the end of lesson bell rang, Harry explained to the rest of the group that he had promised to meet Fleur for lunch and that he would meet them in Potions later. Hermione told him to have a nice time and Harry thanked her before rolling his eyes at the wagging eyebrows he got from Sirius.

When he arrived outside the large immobile portrait of the founders, Harry only had to wait another minute or so before it creaked open and Fleur led him in and to her quarters. Looking around Harry found that little had changed and that everything looked as glamorous as it had the first time he had seen it.

'Zank you for meeting me 'arry,' Fleur said as she led him to a seat near the fire grate in what was presumably her living area.

'No problem,' he answered her normally, wondering why they could not have met in the Great Hall like was usual. 'Are the house-elves sending up food?'

'Yes. Ze little one, uh Dobby? 'e said 'e would bring eet,' she said with a small smile.

Harry smiled back but then stopped smiling when he noticed that for the first time since they had met, Fleur looked nervous. He was not sure what the problem was and after dealing with Lily he was not sure he could handle another problem concerning the comforting of a girl. He had after all done marvelously with both Cho and Ginny.

'What's the problem Fleur? Is everything alright?' he asked, deciding that she was his girlfriend and whatever it was it could not be as bad as having three of your friends die overnight. He held his breath just in case.

The blonde girl eyed him warmly for a moment before deflating greatly and exchanging her welcoming features with those of guilt and apology.

'I am very sorry 'arry, but I do not zink we can stay togezer,' she said quickly and then grimaced at the surprised look on Harry's face. 'I know you just got home, and I am very 'appy zat you are safe, but I cannot stay wiz you.'

'What?' was all Harry could say.

He had just arrived in his own time not even twenty four hours ago and Fleur was telling him that they should break up? How could this be happening? What had he done wrong?

'I'm sorry if I did something Fleur,' he started slowly, still unsure of what to do, but was immediately cut off by a hand over his mouth.

'No Harry, eet eez not you. You deed not do anyzing wrong. I really 'ad fun wiz you and you are a really nice boy, but I am een love wiz someone else.'

Just when Harry thought his head had taken in all it could, she threw that at him. She was in love with someone else. He knew he should not have tried to go into the past; because he had left Fleur had found somebody new to replace him. Suddenly he was beginning to feel a little angry and started to stand, wanting nothing to do with the part-Veela sitting in front of him. Was he really that easy to get over?

'Fine Fleur, I understand,' he began hotly. 'Just one question then and I'll stay out of your way. Who is it? What student was so great that you decided to just fall in love with him while I was missing?'

Harry's anger rose further as Fleur brought a hand to her mouth to suppress a laugh, and she got to her feet as well.

'Eet eez not like zat at all 'arry.'

'Really?' he shouted back. 'Then please Fleur, explain it to me. I disappeared for a month and a half and when I get home you break up with me and tell me you're in love with someone else. I think I understand quite well actually. I just want to know who swept you off your feet while I was gone. I don't think it's too much to ask.'

'Beell Weeslee,' she said and then gave another small laugh as Harry's eyes widened.

Harry sat back down slowly and simply stared at his new former girlfriend. 'You're in love with Bill? But Ron told me that you broke things off with him. I don't understand.'

'I deed, but when you disappeared I was very upset and I spent much time alone here. I found all of ze old letters he sent me and zen when he came to help Dumbledore and ze ozers to help find you I realized I steel love heem.'

'Oh,' Harry said dumbly.

'Please do not be angry wiz me Harry. I deed not choose for zis, but eet happened. Do not tell anyone, but ze reason I am no longer wiz Beell eez because 'e asked me to be 'is wife. I deed not know what to do, and I had to stay wiz Gabrielle so I left.'

'And now you've changed your mind?' Harry asked, unsure of where Fleur was going with this.

'Yes, but 'e does not know yet. I know zis will sound terrible but do you zink you could do me a favor?'

Harry nearly said no, but as she stared at him with large pleading eyes he nodded and leaned forward to hear what she had in mind.

The walk to the dungeons that day was particularly foreboding as Harry trudged through the shadows of the Slytherin domain to a classroom he knew he would surely be tormented in. Today would be the first time he saw Snape free of all other professors since his time travelling, and it did nothing to reassure him knowing that the last time he had seen the greasy man, they had shaken hands.

He entered the cold dungeon classroom and found that he was one of the last to arrive as he made his way to his usual place in the front. Surprisingly, Sirius was sitting next to Neville and James was in Neville's regular seat awaiting Harry's arrival. Harry sat down quickly and asked what he was doing.

'Hey Harry, Sirius and I decided to split up now so that ol' Snivellus can't get the satisfaction of separating us. Not a bad idea don't you think. I refuse to let him get to me today.'

Harry tried to smile and nod reassuringly, but he was smacking James mentally for his stupid decision. If James was trying to stay clear of Snape's taunts and to deny him satisfaction, then the last thing he should have done was to choose him as a partner. Now they were the perfect target, and this was reaffirmed for Harry when he saw the sympathetic look Hermione was sending him.

Moments later the start of lesson bell rang and Snape's office door flew open to emit a smiling Lily and Professor Snape. Harry nearly choked on the air he was breathing as he watched Snape smoothly reset his stony features and walk to the front of the room as though nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but found that no one had, or that they were clever enough to keep their mouths shut about it.

'Today we will be working on a specialized form of the Polyjuice potion, and I expect everyone to have a sample ready to be set aside by the end of lesson. When the brews have had sufficient time to prepare, we will test the effect on the class and find out what grades you will receive. Partner off and follow the directions on the board,' he said and flicked his wand so that they scrawled themselves neatly behind him.

'Shall I work alone then professor,' Lily asked now. 'Everyone seems to have found partners but there's one too many of us.'

'Yes. Set up your cauldron and ingredients at this front station here, and should the need arise I would be more than prepared to assist you,' he replied.

At this many of the students stopped moving and looked up at him. If they had let the first odd occurrence go, they had clearly decided that professor Snape offering to aid a student from Gryffindor was far too difficult not to acknowledge. Sensing this, Snape looked over to Harry and James and smirked.

'After all Miss Evans, chances are you'll need to help these Gryffindors with their work. You see, their looks and low capacity for intelligence are directly related, so they truly are as dumb as they look.'

Harry looked up at him without any reaction and James was clearly seething in his seat, but the rest of the class seemed to have accepted Snape's regularly placed insult of Harry and continued with their work as usual. It took Harry several moments to calm his father down, but they finally got to work after he reminded James not to let Snape get to him. James reluctantly agreed and soon they were creating a rather decent Polyjuice potion.

This potion however, was different from the original in that it lasted only ten minutes at a time; one of the more useful inventions created for the Auror division at the Ministry. It was significantly more difficult to brew than the one he had brewed with Ron and Hermione, and James was not exactly the most adept at Potion-brewing, making the task that much more difficult as he tried to keep Snape from seeing them fail.

Neville and Sirius were doing surprisingly well, with Snape having only sullied their Potion once and even then it was Neville's cauldron that he spoke ill of. Halfway through class things had been going quite well, something Harry did not understand but did not question, when Malfoy took the time to welcome him back.

'Hey Potter,' he hissed from his station three rows back. 'Have a good time in the past?'

Harry was certain that Snape had heard him but chose to ignore him, so Harry followed his example and did the same.

'What? Was everything so hard to handle that you had to go crying to your dead mum and dad?' he called again.

Harry could feel his temper rising quicker than ever before as his hand reached into his robes for his wand. Unfortunately he was too late as James had already trained his wand on the blonde boy and hit him hard with the expelliarmus charm, sending the unarmed Slytherin sailing backward.

'Potter!' Snape shouted furiously, and both boys at the front station turned to face him. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tonight at eight o'clock. Harming another student is inexcusable.'

Harry said nothing as he knew there was no use, but James did nothing of the sort.

'I don't think so Snivellus,' he shouted back at him, his face beet red and shaking. ' Did you hear what that little rat said? I know it's beneath you to hear what a Gryffindor says, but I would have thought you could hear clearly when a Slytherin insults someone's dead parents. Especially this excuse for a wizard,' he pointed to where Malfoy was picking himself up off the ground. 'No doubt a Death Eater in training, just like his father.'

Snape began to shake in anger as well, and Harry was not sure what to do. For a moment, he honestly believed that either James or Snape would kill the other.

'How dare you talk to me like that you arrogant-' Snape began but was cut off by James as he collected his things.

'Oh stuff it Snivellus! And don't expect me to show up for detention. It'll never happen. You might be a professor here, but Merlin knows I'll never take orders from you!'

'Expelled! The Headmaster will have you out of here when he hears of this!' Snape roared, but James simply laughed at him.

'Expelled? I'm not even enrolled, or did you not hear the slimy git on the floor. I'm dead,' he shouted just as loudly as Snape, causing the entire class to wince and even Snape looked slightly taken aback.

This said, he grabbed his things and headed for the door with everyone watching his progress. At the door he turned back to the class for one thing he'd forgotten. 'You coming, Padfoot?'

The end of lesson bell had not come yet, but Snape had quickly dismissed the class after James' show of rebellion and now Harry found himself standing alone outside Snape's closed office door. He knew that now was probably not the opportune time to speak with the Potion Master, and he was extremely upset with Snape for not doing anything about Malfoy, but he still felt he should say something before it was too late.

He looked around the empty dungeon one last time in case he never saw it again, and knocked loudly on the door. For a long moment nothing happened and then he heard Snape's voice call for him to enter; it was not a very happy sounding voice, but then again when was it ever. Harry took a deep breath and then pushed the door open and strode into what he figured would be his resting place.

He was unsurprised to find Snape sitting behind his heavy wooden desk with the little light that regularly lit the room even dimmer than usual. The fire in the grate was nearly burned out and Snape was facing it, leaving his back turned to Harry.

'Sir?' Harry asked quietly not wanting to startle the sleeping snake.

Snape quickly spun around and fixed a glare on Harry; the kind that had always been reserved specially for him. Harry was surprised to find a goblet in his hand, and he could smell the distinct odor of Fire whiskey.

'Potter?' he snarled. 'What are you doing in here? I thought I'd made myself perfectly clear the last time we spoke, that you would come and speak to me at the price of a detention.'

'Yes sir, but I just wanted to come and make sure that everything was alright,' Harry said through a clenched jaw, trying his best to keep his tone civil.

'What are you on about?' Snape hissed. 'You've obviously come for something. Perhaps you think you can get your precious father out of trouble? Get out!'

'I know that Lily came to talk to you about Gwe-' he started to say but changed his wording at the malicious look in Snape's eyes, '-something. I told her she should speak to you sir.'

'Oh did you? How very thoughtful of you. Saint Potter, always the perfect hero to save the day.'

Knowing that there was little point in reasoning with him, Harry simply smiled and nodded, eliciting an odd reaction from the Potion's Master. Snape stopped talking and stared at his student who simply smiled while being patronized.

'I know there's nothing I can say that will make it better Professor, but for what it's worth, I truly am sorry for your loss. She was a really great person and I miss her too.'

Snape opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly and remained silent while eyeing Harry with confusion. As far as Snape knew, the students would have no way of knowing about his passed wife. Harry knew that he had more than over-stayed his tolerated visit time and made for the door before Snape realised it as well. Just as he made to leave, he turned back to Snape with a wide grin for one last comment to help explain himself.

'Oh, and Professor? I don't care what Sharpbane said. That was a damn near-perfect growth potion we made. We deserved better than an Acceptable.'

For the second time in his life, Harry saw a shocked look on Severus Snape's face as he closed the office door and headed to his last lesson of the day.

Defense class had been far less painful than Harry had originally thought it might be. He had thankfully partnered with his mother and that alone appeared to have saved him from much of Professor Black's regular scorn. James and Sirius had partnered together as was usual, and though Harry did not get punished, all four houses did lose a significant amount of house points for every student that asked James if he really had told professor Snape off.

Professor Black taught the class about several rather potent curses taught at Durmstrang and then of course the counter curses that the pairs practiced on one another. It took two trips to the hospital wing before the Slytherins finally adhered to her rule of only practicing the counter curse and not the curse itself. Luckily it had only been Pansy and Goyle to go to go see Madam Pomfrey.

By the end of lesson, Harry decided that it had truly been the most enjoyable lesson of term. Not only had he been spared the ridicule and extra workload regularly donated by Professor Black, but he had also learned some useful curses and seen two Slytherins injured. The class was dismissed for the end of the day and they all started to leave, but then James, Lily and Sirius were asked to stay back momentarily.

Harry gave the professor a wary look but the three students remaining behind did not seem the least bit quelled by it. They told him that they would meet up with him later in the common room and the rest of the Gryffindors headed back to their common room, eager to speculate about what Black could possibly want.

Once comfortably seated in front of the Gryffindor fire, ideas began to be exchanged about what sort of work they were being assigned, or perhaps what punishment they would receive. Seamus figured that Professor Black would be giving them all detention for James' insult to her close friend Snape.

They all laughed at this, but stopped when Harry asked them to give it a rest.

'I know it's all in good fun, but when my mum, I mean Lily gets back, could you please stop? Professor Black was one of her closest friends in a group of five girls, and just earlier today I had to explain to her that they're all dead except for her.'

'Oh, I didn't know Harry,' Parvati said, lifting a hand to her mouth. 'I promise I won't say anything again.'

'Yeah, me neither Harry,' Lavender said with a sad expression.

'I'll stay quiet about it,' Seamus said, 'but I still hate the woman.'

Everyone, including Harry laughed at this. The group continued to talk and laugh for a while until finally the porthole swung open to admit Marc and Ginny, who gladly dropped their things and joined them all by the fire.

'Did you still want to take that walk Harry?' he asked and waited for Harry to nod before standing again. 'Alright, well just let me get changed and drop my things off. It might take a few minutes,' he added and rolled his eyes.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked with a laugh.

'What do I mean? Oh that's right. You haven't seen the dormitory yet. You'll remember how I was placed with you lot because there were already six four-posters in the fifth-years room. Well, with James and Sirius, there are eight of us in there now, and for some reason they've chosen not to enlarge the room.'

'It's cruelty really,' Dean said. 'You can hardly pass wind without someone feeling it.' All the boys began to laugh, but the girls made gagging noises and Hermione reached across to punch Dean on the arm.

'Don't be so crude,' she admonished, while he rubbed his arm and laughed.

Harry told him to hurry and Marc took off up the stairs to change. While Harry waited, the porthole opened yet again and in strode Collin Creevey and his brother Dennis, both of whom looked more than excited when they saw him.

'Harry!' Collin shouted and both boys rushed toward him. 'Are you alright?'

'What happened to you?'

'Was it fun?'

'Did you snap any photos?'

'Slow down,' Harry laughed as the easily excitable boys jumped up and down around him. They appeared to be even more raving then when he had first met each of them. 'I'm just fine, I traveled into the past by accident, it was quite fun, and no I'm sorry, I did not snap any photo's Dennis.'

The brothers looked disappointed for a split second before jumping into their next bout of questions and leaving Harry to quickly answer them best he could. Harry glared hard at Ron who was laughing hysterically in his seat with Parvati. Hermione even seemed to be slightly amused by the comical scene.

Luckily, Marc came down the stairs before then boys could start their next onslaught of questions and Harry politely excused himself, telling them that they could talk later, perhaps tomorrow. The Creeveys nodded exuberantly and waved him off as he and Marc made a quick dash for the porthole.

'That looked like a good time,' Marc said cheekily as the pair walked down the corridor. 'I could have rescheduled you know.'

'Very funny,' Harry answered with a smirk. 'So, where to?'

'Does it matter?' Marc said and got a shrug from Harry.

'How are you Marc? Is everything going alright now that we're back? I haven't really had a chance to talk to you since Dumbledore's office,' Harry started, feeling guilty that he'd not made more of an effort.

'I'm alright. Things are going back to normal now, and classes have been a breeze. I feel like I haven't missed a beat if you know what I mean.'

'I do,' Harry answered heavily. 'It's as though nothing has changed. Technically we were still at school, just not in this time. I'm even really comfortable having my parents and Sirius here.'

'I know, it's as though we're getting the best of both worlds. You know they have to go back don't you,' Marc added, and Harry could not help but notice a sadness in his eyes. He attributed it to the boy's closeness to his parents and Godfather; after all, he had known them for as long as anyone else at Hogwarts. Why should he not be sad to see them go?

'I know, but until they do, I don't want to think about it.' Marc nodded.

'I know this is going to sound mad, but I actually wish we had gotten in more trouble than we did,' Marc said and ran a hand through his dark curls as he sighed.

'What? Why?' Harry asked in surprise. He tried to ignore the pang of guilt he felt at realising Sirius used to do the same thing when he felt unnerved.

'Well, I don't actually want to be punished, but the way Dumbledore dealt with it makes it seem like it's alright. I don't know about you, but I don't think it's even close to alright. We could've changed history Harry, and all we get is seventy points taken away. All of the professors are acting as though nothing happened and I can't stand it. It's like it didn't even matter that we were gone. I didn't expect the world to stop, but I thought that someone might be worried you know?'

Harry eyed his friend for a moment. He had been so busy catching up with all that he had missed, that he had not thought to worry about Marc. The dark-haired boy had transferred from a school hundreds of miles away and he didn't have any relatives nearby to speak to. In Harry's case he had ended up gaining relatives through the ordeal, but Marc was left all alone.

'Did you contact your parents at least?' Harry asked him.

'Yeah, I contacted my mum. She was relieved I'm back, but she was more angry than anything. She told me I could stay here for Christmas this year, and that there was no way that I should go home.'

'I'm really sorry Marc,' he said, knowing all too well the feelings of not being wanted by family members. He knew what it felt like to have family and have them be angry with you. It was a feeling he would not wish on anyone; not even Malfoy.

'It's not that bad really. Tons of students have to stay over the holidays right? Besides, you won't be going to the Dursley's will you? I figured I could stay here with you, your parents and Sirius.'

Harry smiled at his friend's optimism and wished that he could be like that whenever something terrible happened to him.

'We'll all be going to Christmas dinner with the Weasleys, but I don't see why you can't come. Mrs. Weasley would be glad to have you I'm sure. She's really great and I'm certain you'll like her.'

'You don't think Ron will mind do you?' Marc asked as they took a corner on the fifth floor.

'Not at all. But if he does, you could always threaten to quit the Quidditch team,' he added with a grin.

Both boys continued to talk about all that had happened since their return as they made their way down to the Great Hall for dinner. Harry hoped that by the time they got there, his parents and Sirius would have been released from Professor Black's clutches.

Unfortunately, when they took their seats at the Gryffindor table, only James and Sirius were seated with the others. Looking up to the staff table, Harry found professor Black's seat empty, as well as Snape's, McGonagall's, Dumbledore's, and Aunt Petunia's. Where had they all gone?

Fleur was in attendance however, and she gave him a small smile and a wink before turning back to her meal. Sirius of course noticed this and had to comment.

'So what is it with this part-Veela girl you're dating Harry? Is she really the one you told us about; the one from the Tri-Wizard tournament?'

Harry nodded, and pretended to be embarrassed so that no one would suspect that he and Fleur were no longer seeing one another. Sirius' catcalls and slaps on the back continued for the next few moments until the door behind the staff table opened and all of the missing professors walked through, followed closely by Lily. She gave them all a smile and a wave and made her way to the Gryffindor table.

Harry watched curiously as the professors took their seats and he could not help but notice the glare that Petunia was shooting at Professor Black. He was torn between possibly liking his aunt slightly for finally having something in common with him other than blood, and hating her for the years of torment and neglect. His hatred for Professor Black helped to tip the scale in his aunt's favor and soon he found himself smiling up at her. This soon ended when she noticed him looking at her and glared back venomously.

Harry simply turned back to his friends, but not until he gave a small laugh; he was never going to get used to seeing her in witch's attire. He turned back just in time to hear Lily's explanation to Hermione of why she had been in the antechamber with all those professors.

'They just wanted to make certain it was alright with me if we stayed until the end of holidays. The headmaster believes it will be simpler to send us back then but he wanted to be certain I had no objection to missing my regular classes. I also had to decide whether or not I was to stay in Snape's class or not.'

'Why didn't they ask us?' Sirius asked, looking seriously offended at being left out of the decision.

Everyone gave him a look that he should have been used to by now.

'Well, it would have been nice to be asked is all,' he grumbled before going back to his meal with a pout.

Nothing of great importance occurred after that, until halfway through dinner when the evening post was delivered. There were always far fewer deliveries at dinner and Harry was surprised when the large horned eagle owl he had seen before leaving, swept down through the rafters. Just as it had done last time when delivering packages to Cho and Crabbe, the owl simply dropped letters in front Roger Davies, Blaise Zabini, a seventh year Hufflepuff girl, and then finally Hermione. Harry was stumped; what could it be that this owl was delivering to such dissimilar students?

Everyone watched as Hermione opened the plain white envelope and removed a thick black notice that looked like an invitation. Harry watched as she scanned the contents and never showed any sign of excitement or even interest. Then when she was done, she held it up and several people jumped as it burst into flames and disappeared. Bright flames from the table two over, signalled that Roger had just done the same. Two more bursts signalled the Hufflepuff and Slytherin burnings and all four deliveries.

Hermione turned back to her meal after that and started to eat. It was another minute until Ron finally flicked her on the arm and asked her what in the world had just happened. She laughed and waited to finish what was in her mouth before answering him.

'Oh that? It was nothing, just a reminder from the Ministry of Magic that N.E.W.T's are coming up next year, and that I best study if I want that position I applied for.'

'You applied for a job at the Ministry?' Ron nearly shouted. 'When?'

'At the beginning of term. I sent application letters all over the place. I wanted to make certain I had options once I've graduated,' she answered as though it were the simplest thing in the world.

'Actually, I applied as well,' Lily said then, and Ron stared at her like she had two heads.

'Are you mad? We still have nearly two years until we have to decide. How can you choose so quickly?'

'Well it's simple really. I've wanted to be an Auror ever since my first year at Hogwarts. The way our Defense professor talks about it, I can't wait.'

'Harry wants to be an Auror as well,' Ron started to tell her, but was shushed by Parvati's hand clasped over his mouth.

'You mean you've had the same Defense professor for six years?' Parvati asked suddenly, looking completely shocked by the idea.

'Of course. Why wouldn't we?'

'We've had six different professors. The position is cursed these days,' Ron explained. 'One's dead, one's lost his memory, two have been sacked, and the other had his soul sucked out by a Dementor. There's really no telling what'll happen to Professor Black. Personally, I hope she just gets sacked. Ow!' he shouted as Harry kicked him under the table and gave him a warning look.

'I'm sure she'll be fine,' Hermione said to Lily, who looked more than slightly disturbed at the prospect of losing her last living girlfriend.

Harry nodded in agreement with her, but he was still unsure of the Defense professor's safety. He did not like her by any means, but at the same time he did not want anyone to get hurt; even if they were a Death Eater.

The rest of dinner went well, everyone discussing Quidditch and trying to get Harry and Marc up to speed on what they had missed. Harry listened to all his friends said, but he could not help but notice the looks Hermione had been exchanging with Roger and the fact that Dumbledore was watching her very closely. He was beginning to feel that perhaps what she had told them was not true after all.

His doubts were pushed away immediately as the Headmaster's stare fell onto him. Dumbledore's knowing stare penetrated the thickest of exteriors and Harry knew that the old Wizard was wise to some secret he was keeping. Deciding that it was probably best to share what he knew with the old man, he waited until Dumbledore rose from the table and quietly excused himself as well.

'Where are you going?' Ron asked, not quite through telling him about their next practice.

'I've a meeting with Dumbledore. I'll find you later though.'

'But Dumbledore's still eating,' he said, and turned to find the Headmaster's place empty. 'How does he do that?'

Everyone laughed at Gryffindor Quidditch captain and then Lily excused herself as well, telling them all that she had an appointment with Professor Dursley. Harry and Ron pulled faces at this before everyone agreed to meet in the common room later that evening, and then Harry and Lily left the Hall together.

'Where are you really going?' she asked Harry as soon as they exited the hall. Harry laughed.

'To see Dumbledore actually. I have yet to tell him everything about my little holiday.'

'Ah, I see. Well good luck with that. I'm off to meet my niece and nephew.'

'What? They're not here are they?' Harry asked, dumbfounded by the thought of Dudley being at Hogwarts and not telling him.

'Don't be ridiculous,' Lily said, 'Petunia's in enough of a tiff being here herself; she wouldn't dream of bringing the family too. She goes home every evening after dinner. It's the only way she would agree to it. Dumbledore's hooked their fire to the Floo network for now. Apparently Vernon had it blocked up or something ridiculous.'

'Oh. Well say hello to Dudley for me. I haven't heard from him in ages,' Harry answered, choosing not to explain why his uncle had indeed blocked their grate.

'I'll be sure to. Have fun.'

'Good luck!' Harry warned her and the pair went off in different directions; Harry up to the Headmaster's office, and Lily toward Petunia's on the fourth floor.

Once seated in the familiar round room, Harry was unsure of what to say to the man who had always thought so fondly of him. He wanted to tell him what he had learned in the past, but he was worried that the Headmaster would be disappointed upon learning he was an heir of Slytherin; moreover, The heir of Slytherin.

'What is the problem Harry?' Dumbledore asked in that darned calm voice he always used.

Harry tried to stall for time by glancing around the room. He found Fawkes resting comfortably on his perch and the many trinkets Dumbledore had accumulated over the years, strewn about the tabletops and shelves. Dolores Umbridge was still not in her frame, he noticed, and his spirits were lifted momentarily. He turned back to face the Headmaster and found that he was still simply gazing at him in waiting. Patience was after all something Dumbledore had exhibited in great amounts over the years.

'There's actually something I've been meaning to tell you sir. I know I should have told you the night we returned, but what with Fudge and my parents, it must have slipped my mind,' he tried to explain.

'There is no need to worry as of yet. I will assess the damage or the lack there of once you have told me whatever it is you have learned,' Dumbledore replied with a smile. 'Lemon drop?' he offered, and then popped a small yellow sweet into his own mouth.

Harry shook his head and continued.

'Well sir, while I was in the past, I discovered a secret room that I believe to have belonged to the Founders.'

He paused and watched as Dumbledore shifted his weight in his seat and watched Harry more thoughtfully now.

'On the walls behind each of four desks was one of their portraits. Between Gryffindor's and Slytherin's portraits were their family lineages. I saw who their heirs were sir.'

Dumbledore gave a small nod and leaned back in his seat.

'I've always known there were countless rooms in this castle that I had yet to find. I expect I will never find that particular room. How do you feel about what you saw, Harry?' he asked then with a small smile on his lips.

'I'm still unsure sir, but I do know that I want to tell the other heir. I think it's only right. Could we bring him here to tell him?'

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes at Harry now. Harry could not tell exactly what he was thinking and it was starting to bother him. He wanted to tell the other heir, and it appeared as though Dumbledore was about to object.

'Now I understand that it may be overwhelming at first Harry. But being the heir of Gryffindor is quite an honour. Inviting Tom Riddle into Hogwarts castle does not seem the appropriate action. Besides, I'm quite certain he'll already know that you're Godric's heir. It only makes sense that the two of you are destined to fight. The Sorting Hat is rarely wrong, as you may have noticed.'

'But sir, I'm not Godric's heir. Neville is.'

The blank look on Dumbledore's face was one that Harry would never forget. It lasted only a fraction of a second and was soon replaced by a calculating glance at the wall in which the Headmaster's brow became extremely furrowed. Harry had never yet seen Dumbledore's reaction at being wrong, but then again, he had never been wrong before.

'Harry, I saw with my own eyes in the records at the Ministry that you are Godric's youngest heir. You are nearly two weeks younger than Neville. That can't be right. If it were Neville, he would have been marked by Tom, not you.'

'I'm sorry sir, but Tom is not Slytherin's heir. My great-grandmother eight times ancient was Gryffindor's granddaughter, but she married Slytherin's grandson, making me his youngest living heir, not Tom. The Potters were a second generation Slytherin Bloodline until Jonathan married Gryffindor's granddaughter.

'This is remarkable Harry,' Dumbledore said now with a wide smile and more optimism than Harry felt was warranted. 'You could not be in a better place. I know it must seem difficult to understand, but if what you have just told me is true, then you certainly have a power that the Dark Lord knows not. He thinks himself to be the heir of Slytherin, and that he will be fighting his greatest enemy, the heir of Gryffindor.'

Harry's eyes widened at this as he understood what it meant for the prophecy.

'Being the heir of such powerful wizards can only be good Harry. You are not Godric and you are not Salazar so do not become worried about such things. Concentrate on knowing that you have robbed Tom of the one thing he holds dear. He had always loved knowing that he was the heir of Slytherin, but you have held it for the last sixteen years. It also helps to explain your abilities with a wand Harry. Your father as well. I had always assumed it was Godric who guided him to do so well, but now I know that it has been Salazar.'

'Do you know what this means sir?' Harry asked, just realising something else. 'If Neville is the heir of Gryffindor, that adds another powerful wizard to our side.'

'Exactly,' Dumbledore said, 'Now I believe we should inform him before you enlist him in a battle in which he may not wish to take part.'

'Of course,' Harry said seriously, and watched as Dumbledore began writing on two separate pieces of parchment.

The notes were soon attached to Fawkes' leg and he disappeared in a burst of flame.

'I do have a question though sir,' Harry asked while they waited for Neville. 'If I am younger than Neville, why was he made Gryffindor's heir in my place?'

Dumbledore smiled at this and seemed to be enjoying a joke of sorts. Harry did not find any of this particularly amusing. For once, he wished things would simply be normal and follow the rules for him.

'You see Harry, it's really a very simple charm that Godric and Salazar must have used. I find it intriguing that such a small charm has made such a large difference so many years later. If the Ministry had been aware of the charm, I would have known that Neville was the heir, and not believed for so long that Tom was Salazar's.'

Harry gave him an impatient look that stopped his rambling and had him get to the point.

'You see Harry, when two wizards do not particularly like one another, such as Godric and Salazar, they can place a charm on their bloodline to ensure an even splitting of heirs if their bloodlines were ever to cross. Apparently the two saw this as a possibility and neither wanted to end up with a shared heir. Thus, every one of the Potters would have gone to Slytherin's side since he had so few heirs and Gryffindor had so many. I'll have to assume that your father was also Slytherin's heir, despite his being several years younger than Frank Longbottom.'

Harry nodded, and was glad that he at least understood why he had been chosen for the green side.

'It's nothing to be worried about Harry. My own uncle's used the charm to ensure their names be carried on down the line.'

They were then interrupted by a knock on the door. Dumbledore beckoned they enter and Harry watched as Neville walked in, closely followed by a dazed-looking Luna Lovegood.

'Uh, Professor?' Harry said awkwardly, not wanting to insult Luna by asking why she had come as well.

'Do not worry Harry. I called for her as well. Please inform Mister Longbottom of why he is here, and I will explain the rest in a moment.'

The two new arrivals sat in a pair of armchairs the Headmaster conjured and stared expectantly at Harry. Neville stared right at him, but Luna seemed to be staring off over his shoulder. Harry felt like wringing Dumbledore's neck for putting him in such an awkward position.

'Well Firstly, I think you should know about the prophecy we ended up breaking last summer,' he started and received a nod of approval from Dumbledore. 'It was actually a prophecy about me and Voldemort.'

Luna's attention suddenly focused on Harry but Neville seemed completely undisturbed. It said that I would be marked as his equal, which explains my scar, but it also says that I will be the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord,' he stopped and waited for their reactions.

Luna continued to watch him with interest, but Neville looked confused.

'It also said that either you would have to kill him or he would have to kill you, didn't it?' the blonde boy asked.

Harry simply stared at him for a moment in wonder, and then he remembered the day in their dormitory, when Neville had quoted a line form his prophecy. A look at Dumbledore indicated that the old wizard was unsurprised by the blond's knowledge.

'I heard it when it smashed,' Neville said quietly and looked to the floor in embarrassment. 'I'm sorry I didn't say anything but I figured you might be better off not knowing.'

Harry looked to the Headmaster for anything, and found that he was smiling at Neville knowingly. Harry considered yelling at Neville for keeping such a large secret from him, but then realised that he had been keeping one from him as well. He took a deep breath and continued.

'That's right Neville. And I know you think you're clear of all things prophecy, but I found something while I was in the past.'

'Alright,' Neville said slowly and eyed Harry suspiciously. 'What is it? Just tell me.'

'You're the heir to Godric Gryffindor,' he said bluntly.

Neville sat staring blankly at Harry, much in the way Dumbledore had stared at him at hearing the news, only for longer. Luna said congratulations and gave his arm a pat before scanning the room for anything interesting.

'That's not possible,' Neville finally said. 'Everyone knows that you're Gryffindor's heir. It's so obvious. How else could you have pulled his sword out of his hat?' Neville tried to rationalize.

'Neville, I am one of Gryffindor's heirs, but you are The heir; The one through which his power is channeled. I'm an heir too, just not his,' he added awkwardly.

'Then whose?' he asked, but stopped and stared at Harry with wide eyes. 'No! You don't mean?'

'Yup, you're looking at Slytherin's heir,' he said flatly. Luna leaned forward and patted him on the arm now with her offering of congratulations.

'Well,' Neville said, suddenly looking thoughtful, 'it could have been worse right? At least it's not Malfoy.'

They all started to laugh at this, and even Dumbledore had a smile on his face as they laughed in the midst of such a serious affair.

'Alright Professor,' Harry decided to ask finally. 'I know why I'm here, and I know why Neville's here, but what is Luna doing here? No offense to you Luna.'

'Oh, not at all,' she said with a smile and turned to hear the Headmaster's response while fingering her bottle cap necklace.

'I decided that if we were going to hold a meeting for the heirs in this school, that it would only be fair to invite all of them,' he said plainly.

'I don't understand sir,' Neville said to this answer. 'The sorting hat only spoke of two heirs at Hogwarts.'

'That is true, however, it only mentioned the two relevant to its tale. The other two founders did also have heirs, and if I'm correct in my assumption, and I've been proven wrong as Harry just learned, then Miss Lovegood here is none other then heir to Rowena Ravenclaw.'

'How could you know that sir?' Harry asked now, stunned that Luna Lovegood could be an heir. 'You just told me that the records at the Ministry were not entirely accurate.'

'In the case of Godric and Salazar perhaps, but as for Rowena, I have it on good authority that her last heir was none other than Miss Lovegood's mother. Her affinity for the sight only further proved it. I believe you met her once. Lovely girl Violet Divine, and her sisters of course.'

Harry stared at Luna with a disbelieving expression and as he focused on the wand behind her ear, he remembered distinctly seeing Violet keep hers the same way. Luna was smiling sadly now.

'They were very pretty weren't they sir?' she asked Dumbledore, who nodded.

'Yes, they were. And extremely talented. They did some incredible things for the Ministry, and I was very sad to see them leave us.' Luna nodded again.

'But you see, if I am correct in my assumption, Miss Lovegood could very likely have inherited her Mother's talents,' he said and lowered his half-moons to stare at Luna expectantly.

She watched him oddly for a moment and then nodded. 'I've been getting them since I was eight years old sir, but the same one has been playing every night in my head for nearly a month.'

'Would you mind my dear?' he asked politely and smiled when she nodded.

As if on cue, her body became rigid and her large eyes glazed over. The next second she began to speak and Harry felt a chill traverse his spine as he recognized the rasping voice from the last prophecy he heard Professor Trelawney tell.

'_With the power of a blossom's magic, the chosen one shall be marked and the Dark Lord shall fall. At the hand of the protected child, and with aid from the flower's equal, the Dark Lord shall be crippled once more. When the power of love stands no more as a barrier, it will take not flowers, but the power of three to vanquish the darkness forever_.'

That being said, Luna blinked several times, gave a rasping cough, and reached for a lemon drop off of Dumbledore's desk.


	24. The Dark Sisters

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A/N** Hey everyone. So sorry about the long wait, but here it is. I've been busy with school, and wedding preparations. My mom's getting married this Saturday and I'm one of the groomsmen (more speech writing, lol). I've made it too long again so it's been cut in half. I'm posting this now, and I'll have the other half (chap 25) up tomorrow. Hope you enjoy it, and please review when you get the chance. Take care. 

Thanks to everyone who has continued to review and I'll be sure to answer to each of you again once the wedding is over. In the mean time I've answered any questions that I can via email. : D Kyle**

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Chapter 24: The Dark Sisters

Another prophecy. Harry simply watched the Ravenclaw seated in front of him with what appeared to be calm eyes. Inside his head however, confused and severely angry thoughts swarmed madly about, trying their best to find the quickest way out. Neville also appeared to be dazed by this new information and simply sat wide eyed as he looked back and forth between the teller of the prophecy and the one it concerned.

The Headmaster smiled softly as he watched Luna eat her lemon drop and search around the room with her wide dreamy eyes. Harry now realised that Dumbledore had expected something of the sort and could feel the anger within him start to take control.

'You knew!' he shouted, and stood up from his seat to point accusingly at the old wizard.

'I'm afraid I did not Harry; I am simply unsurprised by this turn of events,' Dumbledore said seriously in response.

'I don't understand,' Neville interjected at that point. 'How could there be another prophecy pertaining to Harry? We saw the shelf at the Department of Mysteries and the only one with his name on it was the one I shattered.'

'That is true Mister Longbottom, however I do still believe this to be a true prophecy. You do bring up a valid point in that there are no other prophecies at the Ministry involving Harry. I myself have looked into it since last year's troubles.'

'Then how can it possibly be real?' Harry asked irritably, still standing and beginning to pace back and forth.

'I believe the only possible explanation would be for the prophecy to be older than the Ministry of Magic's records,' the Headmaster replied simply, eliciting rather confused expressions from both boys.

'But we just watched Luna give the prophecy not five minutes ago,' Neville stated plainly.

At this point Luna gave up trying to find something interesting to focus on and turned her attention to Neville.

'I already told you that I've been dreaming about that for nearly two months now. Ever since Harry first disappeared,' she explained casually. 'A nice change from the dreams of mine and dad's expeditions really.'

Harry's eyes widened at hearing this and his mind began to think about something from the past.

'Even so,' Neville persisted, 'that would make the prophecy two months old at best.'

'No, you misunderstand me. It's not my prophecy,' Luna told him as she reached for another lemon drop from the desk top in front of her.

'Then whose is it?' Neville asked exasperated.

'Ravenclaws,' Harry answered for her.

'That's precisely what I believe Harry,' Dumbledore said now with a wide smile. 'How did you know?'

'It makes sense. She first started getting the dreams when I disappeared and she is the heir to Rowena. It's the best idea we have as to where an ancient prophecy might have come from. I doubt it's any coincidence that Luna is the vessel.'

'Very well. I believe that is enough for one evening's meeting. Perhaps you should all get a good night's sleep and we can meet again next week to discuss any further developments. If you could all please keep this information to yourselves it may prove beneficial in the future.'

All three students nodded and they started toward the door when Neville was called back.

'If you could remain for a moment Mister Longbottom, there is something I would like to discuss.'

center /center

Lying on his bed, Harry thought about all he had learned in the last half hour. He had intended to tell Neville of his affiliation with Godric Gryffindor, and instead he met a third heir to the founders who informed him of yet another prophecy pertaining to both he and the Dark Lord. Why was this happening?

He continued to think about all the possible outcomes to his inevitable duel with Voldemort when he heard the dormitory door open again and someone creep in. After a few moments of silence, Neville made his presence known.

'Harry? Are you still awake?'

Harry considered staying quiet and letting the boy think he was asleep but decided that perhaps he needed someone to speak with, as he too had just learned something possible life-altering. Then of course there was whatever Dumbledore had kept him back to speak about.

'Did you need something Neville?' Harry asked and pulled the thick red curtains away from his four-poster.

'I was actually wondering the same thing,' he said and took a seat on the edge of Harry's bed. 'Are you alright? I mean that is a lot of information.'

Harry was surprised by how undisturbed Neville was at learning he was Gryffindor's heir, but shrugged it off and tried to focus on his own problems for the time being.

'I've been better, but I won't lie and say everything will be alright. I'm really not sure anymore Neville. Everyone assumes that I'll always be there to save the day, or that no matter what happens Harry will surely win. How will they all feel when they find out that the boy-who-lived has to be either the boy-who-died or the boy-who-murdered? What then? Hermione and Ron don't even know about the old prophecy or that I'm Slytherin's heir. I don't think I could stand losing them.'

Neville stayed quiet for a while and simply watched Harry in thought as the dark-haired boy leaned his back against his headboard and dropped his head into his hands with a sigh.

'I can't really speak for anyone else, but I know who you are and I'm still your friend. You could be Voldemort's heir for all I care Harry, because no matter what you do, I know that you've always been there for me and I promise I'll always do the same. It's what friends do, and I'm sure that Ron and Hermione will both agree with me.'

'Thanks Neville, but I don't think it will be the same. I've been lying to them for so long now, and you know how Hermione is. We just got over the last fight and I don't think she'd ever forgive me after this,' Harry said and dropped his head into his hands again.

'Well, look on the bright side. You're not exactly lying to anyone anymore. Dumbledore specifically said that we were not to tell anyone about our meeting so we had better keep quiet about it,' the blond boy said with a grin.

Harry looked up and smiled back too, unable to keep a chuckle away as Neville tried to be optimistic in such a ridiculous time.

'I only wish we could have known for certain if the prophecy had come from Ravenclaw,' Neville added as he stood up to go over to his bed. 'You would think that the cleverest of the four Founders would have left some record of her Sight.'

Harry's head nearly exploded as Neville said this. How could he have been such an idiot! He quickly jumped out of bed and rushed to the foot of his bed and his trunk. Flipping it open, Harry ignored Neville's questions, and he rifled through the loose pieces of parchment and other things stored away. Finally he pulled out a large stack of very aged parchments and laid them out on his bed in four piles.

Neville watched curiously as Harry quickly scanned the top-most articles from each pile until finally standing up from his bed in excitement with a roll of parchment tightly clasped in his hand.

'What is it?' Neville asked, still oblivious to what his roommate was doing.

'The answer we've been looking for,' Harry answered with a grin and tossed the rolled up parchment across the room to him.

Neville immediately unrolled Harry's mystery answer and found to his surprise the very prophecy he had just heard Luna tell written in very neat writing across the parchment.

'Where did you get this?' he asked in amazement.

'Off of Ravenclaw's personal office desk,' Harry answered with a grin and laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Neville's face.

'You're joking!'

'Nope. That's the room I found out about you and I being heirs. I figured I'd never find it again so I took a few things for later. Good choice I think,' Harry said with a nod.

'Yeah. I think so,' Neville added and soon the pair was laughing again.

That night, Harry tried to clear his mind before going to bed, but found it nearly impossible with all the new thoughts streaming through his over stimulated mind. He first thought about what Neville had told him; Lupin was back. While he had been speaking with Dumbledore, Remus had arrived and after the initial shock he had invited James and Sirius to spend the night in his quarters. Harry would very much like to have gone, but given the lost time between the friends, he decided to give them a night alone to catch up.

Harry then wondered about his mother. How had her visit to the Dursleys gone, and what would Dudley have to say the next time Harry saw him? Hopefully he and Lily would get on alright and Dudley would understand what it was Harry had lost. Suddenly he wondered if Aunt Petunia would ever invite James to their home so that Dudley might meet his uncle.

Next, Harry's thoughts turned to the newest prophecy. What had it all meant? He had only heard it the one time, but that was surely enough for it to stay with him until the day he died, and hopefully that would be a long time away. He had stared at Ravenclaw's writing for nearly an hour after Neville had gone to sleep, and other than the brief interruption from Ron going to bed after performing his nightly Prefect's patrol, Harry had thought only of deciphering the message. It appeared to be a three part prophecy, one part already having been fulfilled.

_With the power of a flower's magic, the chosen one shall rise and the Dark Lord shall fall_.

At least the first line was clear as it had presumably already take place. He was obviously the chosen one, and he had been selected the night the Dark Lord fell; his scar proved it. A flower's magic was undoubtedly referring to the charm cast by Lily's love. Harry was irked to understand that his parents' death and his being chosen were foreseen nearly a thousand years before.

_At the hand of the protected child, and with aid from the flower's equal, the Dark Lord shall be crippled once more. _

The second line was not nearly as clear in its meaning. Harry gathered that he was the protected child and that Voldemort would be crippled at his hand again, however he was to have help from someone or something known as the flower's equal. What could that be? What was Lily's equal? Frustrated, he had moved on to the last and most important bit of writing.

_When the power of love stands no more as a barrier, it will take not flowers, but the power of three to vanquish the darkness forever.' _

For some reason or another love would no longer protect him. He already knew that, as his blood now filled Voldemort's veins. He grimaced at the thought of the monster being alive because of him. No longer being protected by his mother or aunt's blood, it would now take the power of three to finally defeat the Dark Lord. This was of course assuming that the darkness spoken of was indeed Voldemort. While the news of his defeat was uplifting, it was thoroughly discouraging to see that he would have to first cripple Voldemort before finally being through with him. That plainly meant another encounter, and possibly another emotionally taxing death should anyone get in the Dark Lord's path to him.

That simply would not do. Harry would do everything in his power to avoid close proximity to Voldemort. He could not very well cripple him if he was nowhere near him. Perhaps the prophecy would be wrong, and by staying away, Harry could prove this. Letting his mind finally drift to sleep, Harry thought bitterly of all the fun he would have trying to evade the Dark Lord.

He found himself once again flying his Firebolt high around the Quidditch pitch, no one else around him. The sun was shining brightly in a nearly cloudless sky, and warmth he had not felt in several months shone down onto his face making him smile. Harry was unsure of why he was flying, but in this weather who needed a reason? He continued to fly around aimlessly, looking fondly up at the castle and even smiling at how serenely the treetops swayed in the far-reaching Forbidden Forest.

Finally, the inevitable occurred and Harry's leisure flight ended as a bright green glow from the forest's edge piqued his curiosity. Harry dismounted his broom and let it fall to the leaf-littered pitch as he wandered to the closest wall of branches. Pulling the thick brush out of his way, Harry stepped into the forest and soon regretted his inability to make good choices.

Unlike Harry's last nightmare, he was not in a lavish black marble room lit by flickering green torches, but rather the familiar and sour-smelling cave he had frequented before his slightly extended trip through time. This time however, as Harry clung to the cave wall as was usual, he found one thing to be similar to his last nightmare: a Death Eater meeting.

Dozens of robed figured were gathered in the large stone room, each of their eyes turned to face their master in the center of the room. Harry took one look at Voldemort's skull-like face and found himself wishing for the more youthful and human-looking man called Tom Riddle. Voldemort stood tall in the center of the cave with his wand pointed down at what Harry assumed would be Death Eaters being punished. As the Cruciatus curse left his nearly non-existent lips, Harry's suspicions were confirmed and he stepped closer to the ring of followers to see who had upset Voldemort so.

'You insolent fools!' Harry heard the nasally voice that sent chills down his spine. 'Crucio!'

Stepping closer, Harry pushed his way through the crowd to see three lone figures standing together at the inner edge, bathed in shadow, and closest toVoldemort. On the ground lay the body of MacNair and Harry felt little sympathy for the would-be murderer of Buckbeak. Next to his lifeless body, Harry found four others all writhing in pain as they were subjected to the Cruciatus.

It was another ten minutes before the torment was ended and the followers were asked to stand. Three of the four had difficulty complying, but the fourth got directly to his feet and stood proudly, though Harry could hear wheezing from across the circle.

'It sickens me that I am forced to waste my time to help idiots such as yourselves, only so that you in turn can fail once again in aiding me. I will tell you all right now that this is your final warning. If ever you fail me again, you will join your comrade,' he spat in the direction of Macnair's fallen corpse.

Harry watched as all four followers bowed low and stated their understanding out of pure fear for their lives.

'It should not be difficult for you to accomplish the tasks I now set for you, as they will no longer be of such high calibre as before. While a relief to some of you, I am certain that this will displease one among you,' Voldemort continued with a malicious grin.

Harry could practically see the relief flood from three of the followers as their bodies untensed, but the fourth and tallest of them all had now gone rigid and Harry wondered who it could be.

'You have displeased me most of all,' Voldemort spoke to this person now. 'I hoped that perhaps leaving you to rot away would be the perfect punishment, but certain persons allowed me to understand how ineffective it would actually be to you. Instead, you will now continue to do my bidding and you will know that you are being watched and how very much you have proven to be a disappointment.'

As Voldemort's berating of this follower continued, Harry became more and more intrigued as to his identity.

'In your absence I have found, as I have twice before, that your wife is a far more loyal and capable follower than you have ever been. Take off your mask and look at her. You will get on your knees and you will bow to her now.'

Harry watched with interest as the Death eater lifted a pale hand to pull back his hood and gasped when the pointed face of Lucius Malfoy appeared. His usual sleek hair was filthy and knotted, and his generally strong featured and proud face was gaunt and tired, but it was undoubtedly him. Harry stared in disbelief as the proud man walked toward the three figures closest to Voldemort and dropped to his knees in front of the center-most follower.

'Very good Malfoy,' Voldemort sneered and nodded at the three figures next to him. 'Narcissa has proven herself to be quite useful, as I should have realised, what with Bella being such a loyal follower.'

At this all three followers stepped forward, and the two on the ends lowered their hoods to glare down triumphantly at the kneeling man in front of them. Harry nearly shouted when he found Professor Black standing next to Narcissa and Bellatrix.

Narcissa, standing in the middle, did not need to lower a hood as she did not wear one. Harry was oddly puzzled by the woman's garb as it was far from the traditional Death Eater attire. Unlike her sister and sister-in-law, Mrs. Malfoy wore one of the most elegant sets of dressrobes he had ever seen, in a deep shade of scarlet that Harry felt Voldemort would have opposed.

'It would appear that much of your competence came from her, don't you agree?' Voldemort continued scathingly. 'Your efforts were perhaps the woman behind the man all along. It happened with Rodolphus and Regulus, so why not you? It appears that all of the Black women were simply born to be better than their husbands.'

Harry was not completely certain but he thought for a moment he saw Lucius Malfoy wince at the harsh words and almost, but not quite, felt badly for what he would soon endure. What happened next caught Harry completely off guard. Lucius dropped lower and grabbed the hems of his wife's high-priced robes to beg. He began pleading with her to forgive him while the Dark Lord watched with pleasure; this was exactly what he had been hoping to see.

At this point Harry started to shake his head in disgust. He now understood that Malfoy was not hurt in any way, but simply showing the Dark Lord exactly what he wanted to see. Lucius was not a stupid man, and he knew when he was beat.

'Get off me you filthy excuse for a husband!' Narcissa cried in a surprisingly strong voice. 'You have failed your master and disgraced me. You speak of nothing but honour, when you can hardly be called honourable yourself. It disgusts me to be called Malfoy and I am certain that my son will soon feel the same way. I regret ever giving up the most noble and ancient name of Black.'

Harry then watched in surprise as she lifted her wand, slashed it down forcefully, and shouted 'Crucio!'

He hated to admit it, but standing next to Professor Black and Bellatrix Lestrange, the admittedly attractive Narcissa Malfoy had a very strong presence he had not noticed before. He had always assumed she had been the silly girl to marry Malfoy for his money, but perhaps Voldemort was correct in assuming she was the mind behind the Malfoy.

Standing together, the three Black women were a highly intimidating trio. Harry looked at each of them in turn and noted how very different they were, yet each possessing what was undoubtedly a superficial beauty. What could help them more in their endeavours to murder, he mused darkly.

The curse was soon lifted and Malfoy's tormented screams were cut short.

'Very good my dear,' Voldemort gave her what must have been his version of a smile before glaring coldly down at Lucius' heavily gasping form.

'You will be getting your orders from Narcissa now as it would be ridiculous for you to waste my time at every gathering. You three will receive your orders from Bella and Hyacinth. Do not come out of hiding but for your work, else something tragic might happen,' he threatened in as low a voice as was possible. 'Now get out of my face.'

All four of the escapees bowed once again and finally disapparated without another word. Harry could not believe what he had just witnessed, but he tried to focus as there appeared to be more yet.

'You may all go, save for you my dears, and the two of you,' he said as he pointed to two more Death Eaters standing nearby.

One of the two additional followers to stay was short, plump and twitchy, obviously indicating Wormtail, but the other remained silent and stood a good foot and a half taller. The instant they began walking nearer to the Dark Lord to take their places next to the three women, Harry knew who it was. He had witnessed and feared that walk for nearly six years now, and as Snape lowered his hood, Harry's suspicion was confirmed.

'Wormtail has informed me that Hogwarts has recently acquired some rather interesting guests,' the Dark Lord began.

'Y-yes my Lord,' Wormtail cowered, 'I saw them with m-my own eyes in the Great Hall of the Castle. B-both James and Lily P-potter are somehow alive, b-but they're no m-more than sixth years, m-my Lord.'

'Both Professors Snape and Black have confirmed this,' Voldemort went on now with narrowed eyes, 'however I am uncertain as to why the Ministry does not have record of it. Bella and Narcissa will investigate the Ministry and ask our reliable friend why they missed such a large occurrence.'

He then turned to face Professor Black and asked if their friend at the Ministry would be sufficiently held under the Imperius curse once more, and Harry understood now that during a dream near the start of term it had been her that had cursed the prisoner chained to the cave wall; the familiar voice he had heard had been her all along.

'Yes my Lord, Bella can handle it,' came her reply, and Harry was disgusted to see the coy smile she gave him.

'Good, now I expect the two of you to prove your worth at Hogwarts. I cannot let such an opportunity slip away. For the first time in years I have it within my reach to eliminate Harry Potter without ever getting near him.'

Harry's eyes widened in shock at what he heard, but as hard as he tried to listen to the rest of the plan, he was unable as the lights started to dim and the cave setting began to fade away. The last thing he saw was Snape nod dutifully to his master.

The next morning Harry was seated across from Dumbledore in his office and was angrier with the man than he had ever been before. He had explained everything to him that he had seen in his dream the night before and tried to understand how the Headmaster could willingly employ a Death Eater, other than Snape, at Hogwarts. Once Harry had finished recounting his nightmare Dumbledore had done the unthinkable and sent Fawkes to call upon both Snape and Black.

Uncomfortable was not strong enough a word to describe the room's atmosphere once the pair arrived. Dumbledore quickly explained the situation to them both while Harry tried his best to keep a strong resolve under the constant hate-filled glares he received from both parties.

At learning that Harry was accusing her of being a Death Eater, Professor Black began to laugh. Harry wanted nothing more than to hex her Death Eater grin off as she openly laughed in his face and it took all he had to keep from doing so.

'While I may not be your favourite professor Mister Potter, I find it highly amusing and overly dramatic of you to accuse me of being a Death Eater. Just because I do not coddle you in class does not make me evil. I'll assume that you've accused Dolores Umbridge of being a Death Eater as well then? And Professor McGonagall? She's quite stern so we had better check on her as well.'

'McGonagall is nothing like you! She is a decent human being!' Harry jumped to his feet screaming, and was slightly surprised when Professor Black momentarily winced and looked hurt by his outburst. Was she capable of feeling?

She quickly recovered however and got to her feet, placing a hand on Snape's chest to stop him standing first. She was now in a stance very similar to the one from his nightmare and Harry could not help but feel intimidated by the fierce looking woman.

'I may not be what you consider a perfect human being Potter, but until you have proof of such things I warn you not to make false accusations. And that will be fifty points from Gryffindor for your little outburst. Now if you will all excuse me, I have students to torture.'

Harry watched her through narrowed eyes as she got to her feet and walked toward the door. As she passed by him he got a quick idea and grabbed the sleeve of her robes to expose her left forearm. Unfortunately for him, all he found was a perfectly clear forearm, without even the tiniest of freckles to mar its surface.

'How dare you!' Professor Black shouted as she pulled her sleeve from his grasp. 'Fifty more points from Gryffindor, and if you ever touch me again,' she started but ended with a huff. 'Here Potter, look. Is this what you want?' she said and lifted her other sleeve to expose a forearm as clear as the last.

Harry was dumbfounded. He had been certain that he would find the dark skull burned into her skin with a snake protruding from its mouth.

'No. I saw you both. You were at the meeting last night, and you were standing two feet away from Lucius Malfoy while your precious sister-in-law cursed him. You and Bellatrix Lestrange,' he nearly spat the name, 'and Narcissa Malfoy are Voldemort's new inner circle. The three of you stood together and looked on as though you enjoyed it, and then you and you,' he said pointing at Snape, 'agreed to a plan here at Hogwarts. If either of you does anything to hurt my parents or Sirius, I swear I'll-'

'Harry!' Dumbledore cut him off before he could regret whatever came out of his mouth next. 'I think that's enough. You have seen for yourself that Professor Black is not a Death Eater. Now I must ask that you try to believe what has happened. The Dark Lord must have given you another false dream. While I hate to bring it up Harry, he has done this in the past.'

Harry glared darkly across the desk at the Headmaster. He refused to believe that this was not a real dream. Did Dumbledore honestly think him a liar or a fool; he would not fall for the same devious plan twice.

'That's fine Professor,' Snape said in a cold voice. 'If Potter wants to think that of her it's his own will and we both know that there's nothing that can stop him. However Potter, I suppose you are the expert on judging those marked by the Dark Lord. We are all so very dirty and evil are we not?' he said with a glare and pointedly stared at Harry's scar as he left the office behind Professor Black.

Sitting at breakfast that morning, Harry's friends found it quite difficult to keep his attention. Even when they did manage to get him to look up from his meal, it was only for a split second and it always ended with him sending a glare up at the staff table. He had been consciously covering his scar with his hand all morning, never having felt more ashamed by the Dark Lord's mark permanently etched onto his forehead.

He had been trying to think for the past twenty minutes about how Professor Black could have possibly hidden her Dark Mark. As far as he knew, it was not possible; otherwise Snape would have done away with his years ago. While he wanted to entirely dismiss Dumbledore's suggestion, it was slightly difficult as there was no other proof to support what he had dreamed. The last time a breakout had occurred at Azkaban, the cover of the Daily Prophet had been emblazoned with the faces of the escapees. This morning's post owls had already come and gone, and other than a howler to an unfortunate Hufflepuff boy, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Lily was the first one to get him to say anything and when he refused to look up at her while she spoke she gave him a smack across the face at which everyone gasped.

'Harry James Potter!' she said loudly enough for everyone to hear. 'You look your mother in the eyes when she is talking to you. Do you understand me?'

Harry looked up at her with one hand holding his pink cheek and nodded his head fervently, trying to block out the laughter from the other tables.

'Good! Now I expect you to spend lunch with James, Sirius, Remus and I in the Room of Requirement. You lot are invited as well of course,' she said to Hermione, Ron, Marc, Ginny and Neville, all of whom were staring in shock at the way she had managed to control Harry.

'You're attracting attention Lily,' James said with a small grin while Sirius tried to suppress a laugh.

'If that's what it takes, I don't care. Harry needs to snap out of whatever it is he's so depressed about and have a good time with us while we're here. I hate to bring it up so bluntly, but in barely any time we'll be gone again and I doubt he wants to know that he wasted the little time he was offered. It's not every day we get a second chance.'

That being said, Lily excused herself, telling everyone to meet after the end of their second lesson on the seventh floor and to all be in good spirits or else. Not a person argued and she was soon on her way up to the staff table where she began a conversation with her sister.

Nobody commented on what Lily had said for fear that Harry would explode in anger as he had so often done this year, but it was plain that every person at the table agreed whole-heartedly with the fiery redhead's last comment. Harry knew that she was right as well and knew he would regret not enjoying every moment of his family's company, but still he had difficulty simply pushing the fact that Black was a Death Eater to the back of his mind. He was not sure how yet, but as soon as the holidays were over, he would make it his mission to expose her for what she really was.

The morning lessons sped by and Harry had made sure to get to the Room of Requirement promptly so not to upset Lily in any way. He had rushed so much that he was the first to arrive; the first student at least. Upon entering the increasingly frequented Room of Requirement, Harry was pleased to find Remus already waiting at a long wooden table filled with an extremely amazing assortment of foods.

'Remus!' Harry shouted as he sprinted across the room and met the man in a hug. 'How are you?'

'Good to see you Harry. I'm glad you're alright. I can't believe you would do such an irresponsible thing,' he said immediately, trying his best to show his disappointment, but failing when he saw the arched eyebrow from Harry. 'Alright, I believe you could do it, I just thought you knew better.'

'At least some good came of it,' Harry tried to reason. 'I mean, now I know what my parents were like, and Sirius is-' he stopped when Remus' smile faded.

'Nothing has changed Harry. I know you must be extremely excited to see them, and of course I am too, but you have to realise that it will only be harder for you now once they're gone.'

Harry sighed heavily.

'I know Remus, and it's been pointed out already today so if we could please leave it alone until the time comes I would really appreciate it. I don't want to ruin the little time I have left.'

Remus smiled softly and nodded.

'I had such an amazing time though. I just thought you should know,' Harry said in an attempt to change the subject.

'I know,' the ex-Defense professor replied and gave a small laugh at the confused look on Harry's face. 'Dumbledore gave me my memories from the pensieve back. Thanks for taking care of them. You know, if you hadn't told me, I would never have missed them.'

'Oh,' Harry said nodding. 'Well, I thought you deserved to know.'

'Well, I wanted to thank you Harry. You have no idea how much you helped me,' the sandy-haired man said seriously.

Harry looked at him now and truly saw for the first time how healthy he appeared. While slightly run down, Remus Lupin was looking the part of a relatively normal person and Harry just did not understand why.

'I spoke with Dumbledore, and I know what you did for me. Because of you, I was not registered at the Ministry as a werewolf Harry. I've not had to worry all these years about finding work or having others stare at me in disgust and fear. You have helped me more than you will ever understand. Because of you, I have a great job at the Ministry, hired by Fudge himself of course,' he winked. 'You are staring at the head of the part-human and wizard relations Department,' he added now with a wide grin like Harry had never seen before. 'Because of what you did, part-humans all throughout Britain have a representative who is one of them, thought they don't know it,' he added with a grin.

'That's amazing!' Harry cried now, rushing forward to hug Remus again. 'Congratulations!'

Two hours later, Harry found himself sitting in his first ever lesson taught by his magic-hating aunt. He had thoroughly enjoyed a fun-filled lunch with his friends and family, and then suffered through another essay-burning class with Professor Black in which she had been far more hostile than ever before. He had now learned practically all the Unforgivables in the world and was extremely disturbed at the large variance in what was acceptable in different countries. The perfect end to this day of lessons would surely be a class with Petunia.

He was sitting with James, Lily and Sirius, the four of them being the only students to not have attended a lesson with Professor Dursley. Despite his best efforts, Hermione and Ron had refused to give their opinions of her teaching style when Harry asked, and neither had joined in when he had tried to discredit her ability to teach.

The bell soon rang and the horse-faced woman strode through the doorway carrying her copy of Technology: What's it Good For? under her arm. Once at the front of the room, she gave the class a quick once over before turning to the black board and scribbling down some notes for them all to copy. It was nearly ten minutes before she began to speak, and when she did Harry was surprised by how abnormal she sounded.

'Televisions have been used for many years now as both a resourceful way of receiving daily news reports and a way to spend one's leisure time. When the television was first revealed to the public, it was far from the exquisite and complex models that can be purchased in most shopping centers around the world today,' she explained her notes to the class.

Harry did not bother taking notes as he had lived as a Muggle for eleven years and understood the theory of televisions quite well. Instead he marvelled at how normal this Professor appeared in front of her class. She did not seem condescending or rude as was usual, and Harry felt as though he was listening to his aunt speak to Dudley. He was further surprised when she went on to accurately describe the various impacts technology had on the wizarding world as though she had fist hand experience with a magical life; it was ridiculous.

Harry continued to listen; rolling his eyes often at the random jokes Professor Dursley placed in her lecture, and gave Ron a very nasty glare every time he laughed at them. As much as he wanted to hate the woman, he could no more call her a terrible teacher than a blast-ended Skrewt. Unlike Professor Windum, Professor Dursley managed to keep the interest of every student in the class, and even Hermione was taking notes, despite her being raised Muggle as well.

Near the end of class, Professor Dursley removed a stack of Muggle stationary from her desk and then gave Harry a cold look.

'Misters Potter and Potter,' she called and both boys looked up at her. 'If you could please hand these out to each student. They are your assignments for the weekend. I would like you all to examine the papers and then determine exactly how I created the list of instructions on them. The only hint I will give you is the word printer.'

Harry and James grudgingly got out of their seats and each took a stack of papers from their Professor who continued to stare frigidly at them both. Harry tried to smile but found it difficult; would he ever again have a professor who did not despise him?

The end of lesson bell rang and the Gryffindor friends all headed up to their common rooms, excited that the next day was Friday and the last day of lessons before Christmas holidays. Lily remained behind to speak to her sister, but Harry was concerned by the odd look she gave him before he left. Was she hiding something?

He did not have time to further contemplate Lily's curious behaviour as he was quickly dragged away by Ron who was going on about tomorrow's end of term Quidditch match: Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. Though he had missed the last match, Harry had been informed of every detail of the Hufflepuff versus Slytherin game, and just as he had predicted, Hufflepuff had lost terribly. Gryffindor would play Hufflepuff come the new term and if they won, it would be Gryffindor and Slytherin in the finals. This was of course assuming that Slytherin beat Ravenclaw tomorrow.

Friday's lessons could not end quickly enough, but when they finally did, Harry was sitting right next to the rest of Gryffindor house in the stands, excitedly awaiting the long-awaited match. This really was a great way to end the term, and take his mind off the horribly long list of assignments the professors had assigned over break. At least Ron had agreed with him that it should have been made illegal to assign work during holidays; it defeated the purpose.

Harry, Ron, Marc and Ginny began to discuss team tactics with Sirius and James, while Lily and Hermione discussed the best way to complete their essays so to a lot a proper amount of time to each. Harry pretended not to hear what they were saying; his mother was normal in his mind. Before long, Lee Jordan's voice boomed overhead and the team's players were introduced onto the field. Moments after they had all taken their places, Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the quaffle was thrown into the air to start the game. At that time, Harry was surprised to see the Weasley twins, Angelina and Alicia all sit down behind him, ready to cheer on Ravenclaw and obviously to haggle the Slytherins.

James and Sirius were all too pleased to meet the infamous Weasley twins that they had heard so much about since they had arrived. Fred and George in turn had dropped to their knees and bowed to the pair who they claimed had been the founders of their success.

'Without your wonderful map we wouldn't have accomplished half of what we did,' Fred had admitted.

'Actually we would have still done it all, but it would have been far more difficult,' George corrected him and they all shared a laugh.'

Both James and Sirius made sure to congratulate the boys on their work with Umbridge and of course their memorial swamp that remained in the corridors of Hogwarts. They made the twins promise to give them each a sample swamp before they had to get back to their own time. Now it was Hermione and Lily who pretended not to hear anything.

For the next several hours everyone watched one of the fiercest Quidditch matches Hogwarts had seen in ages. Slytherin played as ruthlessly as ever, but the surprise came from how hard the Ravenclaw's fought back. Every dirty trick the Slytherin's tried, it was quickly turned around and thrown right back at them. While Madam Hooch did not enjoy dirty matches, she did appear to turn a blind eye to several of the obvious fouls taking place.

Harry thought for certain that he saw steam pouring from Snape's ears when he looked over at the more than angered professor; it was not often that another house could out do his team when it came to cheating. Professor Flitwick appeared to be as cheerful as ever and next to him Professor McGonagall even seemed to be quite pleased with the show. Harry laughed at the professor's obvious bias.

Nearly two more hours went by with each team scoring more and more points until they were neck in neck with 230 points each. In an unfortunate turn of events, Roger Davies was struck in the head by a well aimed beater's bat, knocking him from the broom and effectively costing Ravenclaw a chaser and Slytherin a Beater. Not one of the professors was looking pleased now.

With their star chaser out of commission, Ravenclaw stood little chance against Slytherin's three fairly good chasers and they were soon eighty points behind. All the fans excluding the Slytherins were now cheering louder than ever as encouragement for the team that was falling farther and farther behind. Harry could see Malfoy continuously circling the pitch high above in search of the tiny snitch and shook his head at the seeker's pathetic abilities. He himself had seen the snitch twice in the last hour, and at least Cho had made three attempts to catch it so far.

It was another half hour until the match ended with a great finale; while the Hufflepuffs were distracted by an accidentally aimed bludger into the stands, Cho made a spectacular dive below Malfoy and finally caught the snitch from right under him. The three favoured houses roared with excitement at this wonderful turn of events and Ron cheered but was complaining that Ravenclaw was still going to be a threat now. The way things stood every team had now lost a match save for Gryffindor. If they won their next match they would jump into the lead with Ravenclaw just barely trailing in points.

Three quarters of the Hogwarts students went up to the castle in high spirits, discussing the wonderful game they had just witnessed and many people congratulating the Ravenclaw's on their fantastic win. Once up in the castle, everyone entered the Great Hall for their final feast before heading down to the Hogsmeade station to catch the Express back to King's Cross. The old members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team eagerly accepted McGonagall's invitation to join the rest of the students and they explained that they thought it would be nice to walk them all back to the Nest. They had come to formally invite Lily, James, Sirius, and at Harry's request Marc.

The friends enjoyed a wonderful feast, everyone laughing and getting along famously until the time came to say goodbye for the holidays and Parvati became teary. She hugged Ron for the longest time and he became quite red in the face while Sirius made faces in the background. They all said goodbye to Lavender, Dean, Seamus and Neville as well, and even Luna popped over to wish them all a happy Christmas before heading off to find the rest of her many missing school things.

Harry's eyes lingered on Luna's form for a few moments as he wondered how she was dealing with the news of being Ravenclaw's heir. Unlike him and Neville who had each other to discuss their discovery, Luna barely even had a friend let alone a confidant to share her news with. He watched her turn a corner before resolving to speak with her when the holidays were over.

It was not long before everyone had collected their things for the holidays and was walking down the road to Hogsmeade in a large group. They had opted to walk rather than take the carriages to avoid the crowd of frenzying students and to joke about as they went along. In no time at all, the rather large group had passed Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks and were walking up the stone pathway to the ever so eloquent Know-it-all Knocker.

James and Sirius commented on how they would like to visit some of the shops in this time to see how much things had changed over the years. Lily agreed that it could not hurt to try a few new sweets as well. After a good hard laugh at the knockers' many ridiculous introductions, the large group entered the vast home and were all hugged in turn by Mrs. Weasley.

'Oh Harry Dear, how good to see you safe and sound. I'm glad your safe, but come the end of holidays I have some chores for you to do to make up for scaring my wits away,' she smiled at him and Harry smiled back but was unsure if she was kidding or not.

After hugging Ron, Ginny and Hermione, she gave Marc a quick hug and welcomed him with oddly emotional eyes before moving on to introduce herself to the time travelling guests. She became quite misty-eyed as she hugged Lily and tried her best to hustle everyone into the home so that they might get settled in. She assigned everyone their rooms, and as usual the boys would all be sharing Ron's room, while Hermione, Ginny and Lily would share with Alicia and Katie.

The friends all joined Mrs. And Mr. Weasley in the kitchen for a light snack and catching up once they had unpacked, and Harry could not help but smile as he watched everyone looking so happy together. As far back as he could remember, this was now turning out to be one of his favourite memories. Mr. Weasley went on for nearly an hour laughing with the boys about old memories and the things that had changed in Hogwarts castle over the years; Harry was surprised to learn that he had been quite the joker in his time as well.

Molly and the girls spoke with Lily for most of the time, answering the red-haired girl's questions about how Harry had grown up and things of the sort. Harry smiled when he saw Lily hugging Molly as thanks for welcoming her son into her family so readily.

All the guests and residents alike were having a wonderful time, but soon enough they were all sent to their rooms for a good night's sleep for the eldest Weasley woman. According to Mrs. Weasley, they would all need their rest so to be ready for the many visitors they would receive over the next week. Harry noticed that she looked extremely excited about something or other, but when he questioned her she said it was surprise and that he would have to wait until Christmas. Harry nodded and was quickly pulled into another tight hug by the emotional woman before heading up to bed. Everyone said their goodnights and before long every guest in the Nest was fast asleep.


	25. Autumn In December

Chapter 24: Autumn in December

The next three days sped by in a whirlwind of visitors and laughter. Harry could not remember ever having such a great holiday as all of his friends and family gathered and did the normal things families did over the holidays; at least normal things for the wizarding world anyway. By the end of that third evening it was Christmas Eve and Harry had tired himself with all the fun activities the Weasley twins had planned for them. The most memorable had of course been the Quidditch match in the back yard where he had the opportunity to play seeker opposite his father.

Everyone had laughed as it had been nearly impossible to tell one boy from the other. The Prewetts had not been lying, Harry decided, when they had said that his father was one of the greatest seekers they had ever seen. It had been several tough matches that day, each team winning several times, but thanks to Harry, James had met his first, second and third losses ever. James was a good sport about it, but Sirius simply reminded Harry that when they got home, there was no way James would ever admit to having been defeated.

Charlie and Bill had arrived early that day to join in the festivities and Mrs. Weasley had jumped at the opportunity to tell her oldest son he should cut his hair and get rid of his fang earring. He gave her the regular maybe later look before excitedly greeting his fellow Gryffindor visitors. Harry had been surprised at first when Lily knew who he was, but they soon explained to him that Bill had been in his second year when the three friends were in their seventh.

The two eldest Weasleys were placed in their twin brothers' room and before long the night once again came to a close, and Harry was more than willing to climb into his four-poster. He, unlike everyone else, knew what was in store for the Weasleys the next day and wanted to be as rested as he could for the festivities. He said goodnight to his four holiday roommates and soon fell asleep for his fourth night in a row without even the slightest of dreams.

Christmas morning dawned bright and early and Harry was pulled from his bed by James and Sirius, both boys eager to get downstairs where they could smell Mrs. Weasley's famous cooking wafting up and into the guests' rooms. They quickly woke Marc but then spent an additional five minutes getting Ron to open his eyes and put on some decent clothing before dragging him down the stairs behind them.

Upon entering the kitchen they were all surprised to find Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Lee, Fred and George chatting with Remus over one of the largest bacon sandwiches he had ever seen. The boys all joined the crowd and it was nearly a half-hour before the five girls came down as well. They all looked remarkably alert and well done up for having just woken up, but this was explained when Hermione told them they had already been awake and preparing for the last hour.

'This hair doesn't just happen you know,' Alicia joked with a grin as she pointed to her usual pulled back simple style.

As soon as the meal was done, the crowd moved into one of the large family rooms where the Weasleys had decorated no less than three Hagrid-sized Christmas trees. Mrs. Weasley warned them not to start until everyone had arrived and Ron made a show of sighing loudly in impatience. Harry had found this odd at first glance, but when he saw the quantity of presents mounded beneath them he understood why three trees were required. He had never seen so many gifts in one room at the same time, and though he was excited to tear into them, he was unsure as to where they had all come from.

Ron was first to reach for a gift but found it was impossible as he received an electric shock when his hand came in contact with the wrapping.

'Oy! What is this?' he shouted, pulling his hand away and rubbing it with a scowl.

'I warned you Ronald,' his mother said with a shrug of her shoulders as she bustled into the room.

'We wait for everyone to arrive before opening gifts. It's been the same every year.'

'Who are we waiting on?' Fred asked then, and his mother threw him a dirty look.

She opened her mouth to say something in response but closed it again as the flames in the fire grate burst upwards in an emerald green and Percy walked into the room. Mrs. Weasley rushed forward to hug him, but she only held him for a brief moment before pushing him aside and standing ready in front of the fire grate once more. Another burst of green flames signalled another arrival and next to step out was Penelope carrying a very tiny Weasley clung tightly to her chest. She had barely taken a step into the house when Molly was upon her.

'Oh Penelope dear, how are you? Did you have a nice time on your trip? Is this my granddaughter?' she asked, and everyone grinned knowing exactly which answer she obviously wanted first.

Penelope gave a small laugh. She was looking quite well for someone who had just had a baby, but Harry could tell that both she and Percy looked extremely tired. Apparently their travels had taken a toll, though he thought a honeymoon was supposed to be relaxing and fun.

'I'm doing just fine Molly. Our trip was wonderful and yes, this is your granddaughter,' she said with a wide smile and then started to pull back the many folds of blankets around the little bundle in her arms.

Everyone in the room took several steps closer to get a good look at the newest member of the Weasley clan, and all of the girls made little noises when they saw her.

The tiny baby girl was still so small it would be a while before they could say which of her parents she looked like, but it was very obvious that she was a Weasley by the large quantity of auburn hair piled atop her head.

'Everyone,' Penelope said, holding the baby up for them all to see, 'meet our daughter, Autumn Livian Weasley.'

Taking that as her cue, Mrs. Weasley swept forward and grabbed the little girl from her mother's arms and hugged her tightly with tears streaming down her face. Percy and Penelope stood together and watched his mother with wide smiles as Molly hugged and coddled her first grandchild.

When the very excited grandmother finally released Autumn from her surprisingly strong grasp, Ginny was first up to hold her niece and then each of the other Weasleys in turn starting with Arthur and going down. When Ron finally reached his turn, Harry could not help but laugh along with Hermione at the uncomfortable look on his face. It was clear that he had never held a baby before and the look of surprise on his face when Penelope called him Uncle Ron was one that Harry would never forget.

By the time everyone had had the chance to hold the baby and ask Penelope or Percy about their extremely extended honeymoon, nearly an hour had passed and it was Ron who once again brought up the gifts by trying and failing to pick one up. After a brief glare from his mother, Ron was assigned the job of handing the gifts out to everyone before he could tear his own open. Harry and Hermione tried not to laugh while he randomly picked them up and flung them around the room at people, whether or not they were looking.

With all of the Weasleys present and accounted for, the large gathering of friends and family began to open the large assortment of gifts. Hermione acted surprised every time she opened a new one and found a text or guide of some sort, but Harry figured it was an act, as her gifts, even though well wrapped, were very much stackable.

Christmas was Harry's favorite time for seeing Ron; he always became so excited at the prospect of anything new that he looked like a five-year-old. This year was no exception as he tore open Harry's gift of a new set of Quidditch gear and a large assortment of Honeydukes sweets. He bowled Harry over in a huge bear hug as soon as he'd opened the gift, and then surprisingly did the same to Hermione after opening her gift of the new Chudley Cannons book.

Hermione looked slightly taken aback at first but then quickly straightened her clothes and got back to opening her own gifts. Moments after opening her gift from Ron and Harry, she leapt to her feet and took them both down in enormous hugs, making everyone in the room laugh at the stunned looks on the boys' faces.

Harry had asked Ron to go in on a gift with him as he had found the perfect thing for her that was not a text, but it was quite expensive, and though he could have afforded it alone, Ron could not have. Hermione now held in her palms what looked like a small dinner plate made of stone rings, each of them able to spin around and align the many symbols found along them. When certain combinations were lined up between the rings, Hermione would very easily be able to decipher her ancient ruins.

'This is wonderful!' she said after hugging them both tightly. 'I've been wanting one of these all year. Thank you so much you two. I can't wait to write my holiday essay now. It will be beyond simple. Lily, would you look at this,' she called to the redhead as she walked over to where she was seated opening gifts.

Harry took this chance to start opening his own Christmas presents and found that as usual, there were more than he knew what to do with. He unwrapped the puppy-sized lumpy package first and found his usual Weasley sweater in emerald green along with some meat pies and homemade fudge from Mrs. And Mr. Weasley. Next were a dueling technique text from Remus and an amazing leather necklace from Charlie, with a single dragon's tooth dangling in the center. This time Charlie's slightly singed card told him that the tooth was in fact from a Hungarian Horntail. Putting it around his neck, Harry moved on to his extremely large package of sweets and jokes from the twins, making Harry realise that he would never be out of prank material for as long as he lived. After that had been a text on breaking ancient curses from Bill that Harry figured would come in handy one way or the other.

Percy and Penelope had brought everyone back a miniature Eiffel tower, however these were not like the ones Harry had seen before. When tapped on the underside, all the lights around the tiny tower went out as though stolen by a put-outer and then the top of the tower itself folded over to create a platform on which hundreds of witches and wizards were celebrating the holidays in style. Penelope explained that they themselves had been on that platform two days earlier and that it was then that Autumn had decided to make her first appearance. Everyone laughed and watched the tiny people dance around the brightly lit platform while tiny fireworks went off in all sorts of colours and designs.

Harry received his usual Defense text from Hermione, which as usual would prove to be ridiculously useful and then he opened the large sac of sweets from Ron. After thanking them both he opened a flat rectangular gift from Marc, expecting yet another text of some sort. He was pleased to find, not a book but a picture frame, and in it a photograph of he, Marc, James, Sirius and Remus in the common room right after they had won the Quidditch match. Sitting in front of the boys were Lily, Gwen, Sophie and Helena, and on both ends who other than the Prewett twins. Harry grinned down at the smiling figures as they all waved up at him from their celebratory scene. Harry quickly hugged Marc and thanked him profusely; this was one of the best gifts he had ever received.

The picture was handed around the room and many people became teary-eyed as they looked on the faces of old friends or people they knew had now passed on. Remus held onto the picture for a little while longer than the others and simply stared at it with a smile on his face. Harry decided he would ask Collin to make another copy for him when they got back to Hogwarts.

Marc in turn had been thrilled with the personal set of Beater's bats Harry bought him, each inscribed with 'Marc Evans, Gryffindor Quidditch team's iron arm'.

Ginny had purchased Harry a new broomstick servicing kit, telling him jokingly that his ruddy broom would soon be a heap of junk if she did not intervene. Harry's last gift came from Lily, James and Sirius together. Lily gave him a small picture of just the two of them from the same night as Marc's, and James and Sirius gave him a picture of just the five boys: Marc, Harry, James, Sirius and Remus. Across the bottom of the photograph were the words, 'The Real Marauders,' and Harry could feel the tears in his eyes as he read the words.

Lily explained that they had intended to give him the photos on the night he and Marc were leaving, but then they had grown suspicious of his odd behaviour and instead followed him. They figured the gifts would have made an early Christmas gift anyhow, so this way he simply got them at the right time. Harry gave them all hugs and sat back down. He tried to ignore the tear-filled looks the adults and Hermione were giving him.

Harry then handed out the rest of his gifts to everyone in the room, and everyone seemed extremely pleased with what they received.

Marc's, Ron's and Hermione's gifts had by far been the most expensive, but still he chose to give something, small as it may be, to each of the Weasleys; they were after all practically family. Mr. Weasley had been the easiest to shop for, having known for years now about the man's odd propensity for love of all things Muggle. He had simply found a kit used by Muggle children to build random circuits and small electronic devices. To finish the gift off, Harry had simply wrapped the box and then tied a bow using an extension cord. Harry had never seen Mr. Weasley so excited as long as he had known him; after a brief hug of thanks, the red-haired man quickly moved to the kitchen to further explore his gift.

Mrs. Weasley had been more difficult to buy for, as she truly was like a mother to him and he refused to disappoint her. He had finally decided on a self operated vacuum cleaner that roamed the house at will and kept things in order. Hoping it would be alright, Harry was pleased to see her ecstatic look at opening the odd-shaped package before having his view obscured by another of her rib-crushing hugs. Harry laughed as he imagined her crushing the air out of Hagrid.

Charlie was also difficult to shop for as he had a love of all things dragon, yet he worked in such close proximity with them most of the year that he would already have anything he wanted. Hoping that Charlie might find it useful, he had brewed one of the more difficult potions from the advanced text Krum had sent from Durmstrang. The potion smelled terrible and was quite illegal, but it was one of the most effective and quick-acting burn remedies in the world; Madam Pomfrey had verified this. Charlie had opened his gift and gave the small bottle an odd look before reading the card with it and giving Harry a smile and a wink.

Next up were the twins, and all Harry could think of were suggestions for the business. He had written up a list of things that could possibly help them expand Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes such as having other stores open out of the country, and then some possible ways of getting new testers at Hogwarts. Upon reading their cards, Fred and George both grinned evilly and gave Harry thumbs up in reply.

Percy and Penelope had been quite difficult to buy for as well, especially since he did not know Penelope all that well, and he had never met Autumn. He opted for the simple baby necessities, hoping that wizarding families used things like bottles and fleece pyjamas. Percy held the bright pink, furry sleep wear up with a raised eyebrow making everyone laugh, but Penelope thanked Harry for the wonderful gifts.

For Remus, Harry had decided on something that he already owned. During his brief stay at Grimmauld place he had been reminded of the one thing that could have saved Sirius' life, and after repairing the damage he had caused to the other half of the pair, he decided that Remus should be the one to hold the other mirror. When Remus opened the oddly thin package he said nothing at first; he simply smiled. Harry knew it had been the right gift and from the looks James and Sirius exchanged, he knew it was. It had taken all of his will not to give the mirror to his father in hopes of contacting them when they got home. He figured it probably would not work, and if it did that it would be a history-altering mistake.

Harry had deliberated a long time on what to get his late Godfather. At this age, Sirius had already received what he had most wanted from the Weasley twins in the form of a large box filled with their joking materials. As he knew that the three guests would have their memories altered before going home, Harry decided there was no point in giving them anything sentimental. Instead he opted for a set of personal Beater's bats like Marc's, only with a different inscription: _Padfoot, Hogwarts' best Slytherin crusher. Harry_

Upon reading the inscription, both James and Sirius howled with laughter and Sirius clapped him on the back in thanks, saying he had always wanted his own bats. Remus read what the bats said and then gave Harry an odd look before bending down and whispering to his two best friends. Both boys' eyes widened in surprise at whatever they were being told and they both looked over at Harry again before whispering back to Remus. Harry was not sure what was happening, and did not fully understand when Remus picked up Sirius' bats and tapped them with his wand. Handing one over to Harry, Sirius asked what he thought of it.

Turning the bat over to read the new inscription, Harry read: _Padfoot, Hogwarts' best Slytherin crusher. Darkmane_

'What's this?' Harry asked confused.

'Every Marauder needs a name, don't they,' James replied and the three Marauders grinned.

Harry could not help but grin himself as he said his new nickname out loud. It was perfect. Everyone else in the room was oblivious to its meaning as they did not know he was an Animagus, but all that mattered was that he truly was a Marauder now.

Harry tried his best to calm down as he gave his parents their gifts. For James, it was a personalized snitch engraved with the name Prongs, for Harry remembered the memory he had witnessed in Snape's pensieve where James had been playing with a borrowed school snitch. The dark-haired boy immediately began playing with his new gift, releasing it and immediately snatching it out of the air.

Lily had been the most difficult person to buy for by far. How could Harry decide what to buy his sixteen-year old mother? Though he had decided not to do anything sentimental, he broke his rule and had a copy of his pendant made at a shop in Hogsmeade. Knowing he could not have his name engraved on it else history be changed, he simply had his initials scratched on. Lily nearly cried as she clipped the small silver pendant to the back of her own and hugged her son tightly.

'You didn't have to do that you know,' she whispered in his ear as she hugged him.

'I know its silly, but I don't want you to forget me,' Harry replied and felt as she tightened her hug and told him she never would. Harry nodded in response but knew that in a few days time she would have no recollection at all of the time she spent with him.

Ginny was easy enough to shop for as Harry had gotten to know her quite well. He chose a nice unicorn pendant on a silver chain from the fine jewellery shop in Hogsmeade and wrapped it in a fancy box with a large bow. Ginny squealed in delight as she opened the small crimson box that held it and in seconds had her mother put it on for her. Harry once again ignored the odd glances he received from everyone in the room. For all they knew, he and Fleur were still an item.

All of his gifts passed out, Harry tried not to grin when he noticed the curious look on Bill's face; he had been the only person not to receive a gift from him. Looking at his watch, Harry grinned when everyone turned to listen to the Know-it-all Knocker's announcement of 'Masters, two delightfully snobby creatures have arrived.'

Laughing loudly at the confused looks on everyone's faces, Harry announced that Bill's gift had arrived and that he hoped Mrs. Weasley wouldn't mind two more guests. She shook her head in approval and looked on with everyone else as Harry went to let the new guests in. The stunned faces continued when Harry walked back into the living area, closely followed by Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle. She said hello to everyone and they all snapped out of their daze to be polite and say hello as well.

'How nice of you to join us,' Mrs. Weasley said to welcome the blonde girls. 'I would have thought you and Harry would come together,' she added.

Seeing the awkward look on Bill's face, Harry took a deep breath and decided it was time.

'Actually Mrs. Weasley, Fleur and I stopped seeing one another nearly two weeks ago. It just wasn't meant to be.'

He could feel the colour rising in his cheeks as everyone stared at him with surprised faces once again at not having been told.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Molly said but then gave Fleur an odd look.

Everyone was obviously wondering the same thing, but it was Percy who voiced the concern. Trust Percy to be the person to bluntly say anything that needed to be said.

'Not to be rude Miss Delacour, but if you and Harry have indeed stopped seeing each other, may I ask why you've joined us this evening? You and your sister are of course welcome to stay,' he added.

Fleur smiled nervously for a moment and then looked up to Mrs. Weasley.

'To better explain why I am here, I should tell you zat 'arry and I are no longer togezer because I am steel een love wiz someone else,' she said and smiled at the round-faced woman.

Mrs. Weasley looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes widened and she turned her gaze to her eldest child. Bill looked just as surprised from where he stood between Charlie and the twins on the other side of the room.

'Wiz your permission Mrs. Weezlee I would very much like to speak wiz Beel,' Fleur continued.

'Of course. Go right on ahead,' Molly flustered.

Everyone remained silent with their eyes trained on the part-Veela girl in front of them as she crossed the room to stop in front of Bill. The tall young man simply stared at her without any perceptible feeling on his face.

'Hello Beel,' Fleur started, and raised a hand to his mouth to stop him speaking. 'I know you must be very angry wiz me for just leaving ze way I deed. I deed not mean to hurt you. I was just scared. I thought I could seemply leave and pretend zat I 'ad never met you, but I was wrong. I am steel very much een love wiz you Beel, and eef you weel steel have me, I want to show you how much for ze rest of my life.'

Mrs. Weasley and Penelope both gasped and raised their hands to their mouths as Fleur dropped onto one knee and grabbed Bill's hand with a smile and tears in her eyes.

'Weel you marry me Beel Weezlee?'

Silence echoed through the room as every person watched for Bill's reaction. For a moment, he looked so stunned that Harry was afraid he may fall over. After a moment of shock, Bill gave a laugh and pulled Fleur to her feet and into a hug.

'Of course I'll marry you Fleur. Accio ring,' he shouted and Harry watched as a tiny shining object flew down the stairs and landed in the palm of his hand. 'Now it's my turn,' he said and dropped to his knee, holding the ring up. 'Marry me Fleur and make me, and my mother,' he rolled his eyes, 'the happiest people in the world.'

Everyone laughed as he slipped the ring on her finger and then stood up to kiss her while Mrs. Weasley swatted his arm. The next little while was spent with everyone congratulating them and telling them how perfect they were for one another.

Fleur stole a moment away from her soon-to-be mother in law to hug and thank Harry for all he had done to help set this up and he was happy to congratulate her as well.

'You'll make a great Weasley,' he told her, and the pair laughed at the prospect of tiny Weasleys that would be part Veela.

The hours went by filled with fun and excitement as everyone talked and played various games in anticipation of Christmas dinner. Mrs. Weasley had disappeared into the kitchen soon after Fleur's proposal and managed to pull the blonde away from her fiancée long enough to talk her ear off while preparing the meal. Penelope had opted to join her in the kitchen along with Alicia and Angelina, leaving Percy to hold his squirming daughter while she was away.

Harry was genuinely surprised at how well he handled Autumn, and decided that of all the Weasley's Percy was the last person he would have chosen for fatherly duties. Actually, he tied with Ron. Everything was always by the book with Percy, but sitting in front of him while he coddled and smiled down on his daughter gave Harry a very different view of the third Weasley boy.

'Did you like the chocolates Penny and I sent, Harry?' Percy asked when he looked up from a gurgling Autumn.

'Oh yes, they were great! Thanks,' Harry lied with a smile, having completely forgotten about the kind gesture.

'And you Hermione? Penny thought you'd like them best.'

'What chocolates?' Hermione asked, but quickly turned on Ron who was trying to discreetly sneak out of the room. 'Ronald Weasley! Did you eat my chocolates?' she asked in such a firm voice that everyone went quiet.

Ron paled and began fidgeting with his hands while his ears became bright crimson in colour.

'I didn't eat them Hermione,' Ron said quietly. 'I just haven't given them to you yet. We weren't exactly speaking when they arrived and then with Harry disappearing I completely forgot about them.'

Hermione opened her mouth as to argue but closed it and sighed when Ron mentioned Harry's disappearance.

'Well alright then,' she said plainly. 'But I want them as soon as we get back to school.'

Ron nodded and Hermione went back to discussing her Transfiguration essay with Lily and Ginny, while Ron sunk into an armchair next to Harry and let out a pent-up breath while Harry laughed. Harry soon had Ron, Marc, James and Sirius playing a game of exploding snaps and most of them had had a body part singed or covered in soot when an owl flew in through the open living room window.

A gorgeous black owl swept in gracefully and landed on the side table next to Ron where it held out a talon on which a small colorfully wrapped package hung. Ron quickly untied the obvious Christmas gift and led the beautiful bird into the kitchen for some water. When he returned, he attached a small package to the owl's leg, thanking it for the delivering and wishing it a Happy Christmas before the bird flew off the way it came. Ron then tore into his gift after reading the attached card and smiling. He explained that the owl's name was Persaeus and that the gift had come from Parvati.

Ron was soon wearing a pendant around his neck attached to a thick leather cord similar to the one Charlie had given Harry. The golden pendant was in the shape of a roaring lion and on the back the inscription read: _Weasley is my king._

Everyone complimented the gift but left it at that. Knowing the way his older brothers enjoyed teasing him, Harry found it odd that they did not jump at the opportunity to belittle his relationship with Parvati. Ginny had asked Hermione if Roger had sent anything for her, and Harry heard the bushy-haired girl tell her that she had ended things the day before break. She explained to Ginny that as great as Roger was, they were simply on different paths in life and that there was someone else out there for her.

Looking up at Hermione, Harry now understood why nobody questioned her further. She had also complimented the nice pendant, but now she was staring at Ron from across the room where she sat with a forlorn look on her face. Harry seriously wished that they would both just admit that they liked one another, but he realised that there was just always something to prevent them getting together. First it was immaturity, then it was Roger Davies, and now it was Parvati Patil. It seemed fate did not want them together, no matter how much Harry knew they should be.

On a trip to the lavatory, Harry had looked in on the girls in the kitchen and found that the room had been enlarged so that a table nearly as long as the ones found in the Great Hall sat comfortably in the center of the room. He wondered who else could possibly be coming to dinner, but soon enough his question was answered.

First to arrive had been Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt at the front door. James and Sirius were having a right old time listening to the knocker's announcements. Harry was surprised when Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher arrived next by Floo, closely followed by none other than Mrs. and Mr. Granger. The new arrivals were warmly welcomed, and as soon as Hermione had hugged both of her parents, they were cornered by Arthur Weasley, keen on discussing the tools used by modern dentists.

The living area was becoming quite full by this time and Harry wondered who else could possibly show up, but once again his question was answered as the knocker on the front out made another crude introduction.

'Masters, a demented old dingbat and bearded curser of goats have arrived.'

Everyone watched as a laughing Albus Dumbledore walked into the large home closely followed by a person who could very easily have been his double. This man had bright blue eyes and the same silvery hair that the Headmaster bore. The only visible difference between the men was the stranger's missing inch of height and the several inches of beard not present. The stranger also wore similar glasses, only they were not half-moon but rectangular instead.

'Happy Christmas Professor,' Charlie said, walking up and shaking his old Headmaster's hand. 'You too of course Mister?' he paused unsure of the man's name.

'Dumbledore,' the old wizard offered his name and his hand to Charlie, who smiled in understanding.

'Everyone, this is my dear younger brother Aberforth. I do hope Molly has room for another.'

Mrs. Weasley popped her head out of the kitchen and wished both men a Happy Christmas, although Harry noted the disapproving look she bestowed upon Aberforth, before disappearing back into the hidden and wonderfully smelling room.

The Dumbledore's made their way leisurely to where Harry was seated, and Harry quickly got to his feet to wish them both happy holidays and to shake Aberforth's hand. He tried his best not to grin as he ignored the faint barnyard scent wafting up from the older man's garments.

'I've heard so much about you Harry,' Aberforth said and when he smiled, Harry grinned at seeing the identical sparkling blue eyes he had so often been looked upon with by the Headmaster.

'Who hasn't?' George said, and Fred started to chuckle along with his twin.

'This is true,' Aberforth laughed as well, 'but can everyone say that they've heard their facts first hand from Albus Dumbledore?'

Both twins continued laughing but told him he had a point, and Harry could feel the colour once again rising in his face. He discussed a few things with the friendly wizard, and it took all he had to not bring up the supposed goat incident for which the man was infamous.

Several more members of the Order trickled in over the next hour and soon Harry felt his stomach rumbling in hunger. He hoped that everyone had arrived as it was now nearly six o'clock and he was ready to eat. A few moments later Mrs. Weasley came bustling into the living area and did a quick head count before announcing that dinner was ready and that they were only waiting on five more guests. The other four women joined the other guests in the crowded room and soon everyone began mingling once more.

Harry heard the burst of flames from the fire grate and hoped it would be the final guests arriving, but nearly fell out of his seat when he heard his name called out by an extremely familiar voice. Turning toward the originator, Harry was stunned to see Dudley wiping the soot from his robes and walking across the room toward him.

'I'll never get enough of that Floo thing you all get to do,' he said with a grin when he plopped down next to Harry and Ron. 'Oh, Happy Christmas Aunt Lily,' he added at seeing the redhead seated with Hermione and Ginny.

'Dudley! You came,' Lily called excitedly and ran up to hug the blonde boy. 'And your mother?' she asked, but the response came as another burst of flames and Petunia Dursley stepped into the room holding a tiny bundle against her chest tightly.

Harry had still not said anything, but simply stared in silence at his blonde cousin who was now talking to Marc about how great the Floo network was, and then up at his mother who was hugging his magic-hating aunt.

'What are you doing here Dud?' he finally asked the question that he along with Ron and Hermione were obviously wondering.

'Aunt Lily invited us last week when she came over. Isn't it great her being here and all?' he said with a smile. 'She's really great and I can't wait to meet Uncle James. Is he coming?'

Marc and Sirius started to laugh, while James glared at them before standing and holding his hand out to the boy.

'I'm James Potter. Nice to meet you Dudley,' he said in as adult a voice as he could muster.

'Bloody hell, you look just like Harry!' he shouted and suddenly everyone around them started to laugh.

Harry was thankful for the chance to laugh, because if things became any odder he was not sure he could handle it. Dudley being here was one thing, but Petunia was another. He had been hoping for a nice holiday dinner, not a Dursley dinner; perhaps he could sit at the other end of the table. Harry quickly introduced his cousin to the rest of the crowd, but his attention was then pulled over to where Lily was standing next to Petunia.

'Harry, come and meet your new cousin,' she said, and Harry got to his feet under Petunia's glaring eyes.

He walked over to look at the four-month old girl in her mother's arms and was pleased to find that everyone else had followed him to get a closer look as well. He hated to admit it, but the little girl was cute, and surprisingly had hair as dark as his, and the trademark Evans eyes; as bright green as his and Lily's.

'Harry,' his aunt said blandly, 'meet your cousin Priscilla.'

Harry surprised her then by smiling at the little girl and holding out his arms to hold her. Petunia looked frantic for a moment but then slowly handed the bundle over to her nephew who held her closely and looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of the night he had seen himself as a baby. Everyone laughed when Priscilla's little hand reached up to grab hold of Harry's hair, and it took several minutes to get her to let go. The little girl was soon returned to her mother and other guests began to approach Hogwarts' newest Professor with congratulations and questions on how she liked the school.

Harry thought she was doing quite well considering the awkward situation she was in. She managed to keep a smile fixed on her face through all the questioning and she even managed to answer positively in most of her responses. She explained that she was simply doing Dumbledore a favor until her predecessor could return and that it really was the only way to find out if it was the proper school for her daughter. The one thing that did shine genuinely through was her pride for her daughter.

Everyone congratulated her on Priscilla's being a witch, and reminded her of how great she would certainly be with Evans blood in her veins. Petunia actually took this as the compliment that it was and told them all that she was certain of it.

Once the guests had finished meeting the newest Dursley, Petunia eyed Mrs. Figg on a sofa and made a bee-line for her. Harry heard her questioning her about her affiliation with the magical world, and could tell that she was unimpressed at being lied to for so many years, but eventually she managed to simply discuss gossip from around Surrey and more specifically Privet Drive.

'So Dud, how's your year been?' Harry asked his cousin now that the initial shock had worn off and he was able to think straight.

'It's been great. Remember how I told you about me an' Maria? Well we've been going steady since then. She said to say hello by the way.'

'That's great Dud, I'm happy for you. I see you've been running still,' he commented after noticing that Dudley had shed yet even more weight and was really looking healthier than ever.

'Yeah. Every morning Maria and I go with a group of friends. Even Piers comes along now too,' he said. 'Here Harry, I saw this and thought you'd like it. Believe me, it took all I had to get mum to take me to that alley where you brought me,' he said and held out a package in Harry's direction.

'You got your mum to go to Diagon Alley?' Harry said in astonishment. 'I never thought I'd see the day.'

'Actually no, but she got the Headmaster at the school to convince Tonks to take me. It was really great,' he said with a grin and then waved up at Tonks who was sitting next to Mrs. Granger with bright orange hair piled atop her head.

Harry looked down at the small package in his hands before tearing the yellow wrapping away and finding a small aquarium-like tank with an amazing little creature inside. Harry stared in amazement into the bright purple eyes of the electric blue spotted Spewt that he and Dudley had seen in the Magical Menagerie when they had been to Diagon Alley in the summer.

'Do you remember her?' Dudley asked then.

'Of course I do,' Harry said with a grin. 'How could I not? I just can't believe you remembered this. Thank you so much Dud,' he said, and Gave Dudley the second hug he had ever given the boy in sixteen years.

'Is that a Spewt?' Hermione exclaimed as soon as she saw the tank. 'Pass it over,' she asked excitedly. 'I've always wanted to see one. They're the most remarkable creatures, and they're so rare. I'd bet Luna would like this.'

'What's so remarkable about them?' Sirius asked, holding up the container and looking in at the tiny animal.

Before he could put the tank down, he handed it over to Lily asking her where it had gone. She laughed in his face and pointed at the bright purple eyes that seemed to hang in the air.

'Spewts are one of the only known creatures that can make themselves invisible at will. I guess she didn't like your face Sirius,' she added, and everyone burst out laughing again.

'Great,' Harry said jokingly, 'an invisibly animal should be easy look after.'

'What are you going to call her?' Marc asked, and Harry stopped to think for a moment.

He thought about the bright orange and lime green rings covering the lizardesque creatures skin and announced that her name was Trippy. As soon as he had named her she reappeared and Ginny decided that she must have approved of the name. Harry told his friends that he was just going to put Trippy in his room and that he'd be right back, and laughed as he saw Dudley turning down a chocolate from Fred. Apparently he would never get over the toffee incident, but at least he knew to be on his guard with the twins.

He heard someone Floo on the way up the stairs and on his way down he hoped to Merlin that the final guests had arrived. If they did not, he was going to eat anyway. Re-entering the thankfully enlarged living room, he wished with all his might that he could take back his last thought at seeing Professors Snape and Black now being greeted by Order members and Lily. Harry wondered irritably if his mother had invited every person that made his life difficult, because as things were going he half-expected Malfoy to walk through the front door next.

Before he even got a chance to think about avoiding the newest arrivals, Mrs. Weasley popped her head out of the kitchen and called everyone in for dinner, telling them all to look for their names for their seats. The next few minutes were a tangled mess as the guests all circled the table in search of their names, and Harry watched while they took their seats.

Mrs. Weasley had done a fairly good job in placing guests with people they would most feel comfortable, like aunt Petunia next to Mrs. Figg and across from the Grangers. Next to them of course was Hermione and then Ron, Marc and Sirius. Harry unfortunately only had Mrs. Figg and Dudley as buffers between himself and his aunt, and then James, Lily and Ginny before both Professors Black and Snape. Perhaps Mrs. Weasley was playing a cruel joke and he was the mark. He wondered briefly if he had kept the receipt for her vacuum cleaner.

Despite the odd mix of company, Harry found that the feast Molly had prepared was the best she had ever made. Every year it seemed she outdid herself. He was surrounded by his closest friends and family and honestly had what would soon be one of his favorite holiday memories.

When dinner had finished, the twins had kindly contributed to the festivities by donating a special cracker to each pair of guests. One by one the crackers were pulled and the room was filled with amazing displays of fireworks or perhaps a holiday tune. Even aunt Petunia and Snape seemed to enjoy the twins' contribution as Harry noticed genuine smiles on both their faces.

After a long evening of eating, drinking and general merriment, the dinner guests began to slowly take leave. Petunia had been one of the first to leave with Priscilla, explaining that the baby needed to get to bed and that Vernon would be arriving from his sister's shortly. She hugged Lily goodbye and told Dudley to follow her shortly after he had begged to remain behind a little longer. Just before she disappeared into fire grate, Harry could not help but notice the harsh glare she sent in Professor Black's direction.

By half past ten, the Nest was host only to its residents, the Weasley's, the Dumbledores, Dudley, and of course the close-knit group of Gryffindors. Hermione was preparing to say goodbye to all of her friends before taking leave for the rest of the holidays where she intended to spend as much time as was possible with her parents, when the Headmaster cleared his throat and stood to make an announcement.

'Firstly, my brother and I would like to thank you Molly for including us in you delightful celebration. I must say that you have once again outdone yourself.'

'Oh nonsense,' she said with a scoff. 'You know you're welcome any time.'

'Now I hate to bring bad news on such a wonderful evening, but the Minister has contacted me and made it quite clear that our guests must return home by no later than tomorrow evening. I will come and meet you here and this time we will ensure that nothing goes wrong,' his eyes twinkled brightly as he said this. 'The Minister had given me permission to send you back using a Time Turner and with instructions to give my younger self upon your return. This way I can send it back alone and no harm will have been caused.'

'Do they have to leave so soon sir?' was the only thing Harry could think to ask.'

'I'm afraid so Harry. If I do not comply with the Minister's wishes I feel very strongly that he may come and deal with it himself. There is really no need for that.'

'I guess not,' Harry agreed somberly.

'Well, I'm afraid I must take leave, so I thank you all once again for the wonderful evening and I will see you all tomorrow evening at six o'clock.'

Aberforth waved them all goodbye and soon the pair of silver-haired wizards had left the Nest for the night.

Now Dudley and Hermione were preparing to leave, so they were now saying their final goodbyes to James, Lily, and Sirius.

'It was really great to meet you Aunt Lily. After everything Harry told me about you, I couldn't wait when mum said you were here. I'm sorry I'll never see you again, because you're definitely my

favorite aunt.'

Lily smiled at the tall blonde boy and pulled him into a hug.

'Good luck Uncle James. I'm really glad I met you too, because you're the only uncle I know,' he grinned and shook James hand.

'You take care Dudley, and make sure that sister of yours turns out alright. She's going to be a right great witch I bet.'

'She will if we have anything to do with it,' Dudley said pointing between himself and Harry.

'Goodbye Sirius. It was great to meet you too finally. Harry always spoke about you at home, and now I understand why he wanted so badly to live with you. I bet you really would have been a great dad like he said.'

Sirius' eyes had flown wide open when Dudley said this, and Harry busied himself looking at the kitchen door to avoid the embarrassment.

Sirius shook Dudley's hand and after a quick goodbye to everyone else and a shout of 'Number Four Privet Drive,' he disappeared in a burst of green flames.

Next was Hermione's turn to bid them all farewell and Harry could hardly stand seeing all the girls crying. She told Lily that had they been in the same year, she was sure they would have been best friends, and Lily told her that she considered her one now anyway. Hermione promised she would never forget how great a friend she was and that she would never remove the bracelet she had given to both her and Ginny for Christmas.

She hugged both James and Sirius, and wished them well when they got home. She even surprised Harry when she told them to aim for Flitwick's left leg as it was the one he used to bear most of his weight. After a quick laugh, Hermione went on to hug all of the older Weasley's goodbye and then Marc, Harry and finally Ron. She held on to Ron for slightly longer than usual and everyone noticed the red creep into his ears but said nothing to save them the embarrassment.

'Don't you two forget to finish your assignments,' was the last thing she said before disappearing into the fire grate and leaving them all to clean up.

A few well cast spells and help from Mrs. Weasley's new vacuum had the house looking as good as new in no time at all. Everyone shared a glass of eggnog in the now normal-sized kitchen before one by one they began to go up to their rooms. Angelina had surprised the younger guests by kissing George goodnight before going up to bed with Alicia, Lily and Ginny. Harry had forgotten that they were an item.

With everything in its place and the lights turned out, Harry let his mind drift to sleep in his four-poster after one of the most incredible evenings of his life.

When he awoke the next morning, the excitement and thrill of the holidays had lost their effect on Harry, for he knew that this would be his last day to ever spend with his parents and Godfather. He woke up early and sat at the windowsill as he had often done over the years, watching as the sun rose over the Forbidden forest off in the distance, extending its golden rays over the town of Hogsmeade and creating a false atmosphere of hope inside him.

It was not long before Marc awoke, and the others soon followed, filling the bedroom with the yawns and grunts of the sleepy teenagers. Once dressed, they went down for breakfast where the girls had surprisingly arrived along with the rest of the Weasleys, minus Arthur, Bill and the Twins. Mr. Weasley and Bill had been called into work early and the twins had said that there was much to prepare for in their shop. The holidays were the busiest time of the year for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and Harry could hear the voices of Hogsmeade residents in the shop downstairs, where Lee was currently taking care of things.

Breakfast was an awkward situation, as everyone tried to enjoy the food and make light conversation while trying to avoid the subject of that evening's departure. Harry wanted to suggest something great to do on their last day together, but for all he tried they had had the most fun by just doing whatever came their way.

Just as things began to go smoothly, the post arrived and Mrs. Weasley reacted quite oddly at seeing the cover of the Daily Prophet. One hand to her mouth, she tried her best to stifle a cry of surprise before rushing out of the kitchen. The guests heard the sound of the Floo network being activated and her shout of 'Albus Dumbledore,' before Harry got to his feet to look at the copy of the Prophet she had let fall on the tabletop. Eyes narrowed and jaw clenched, he read the headline for which he had been waiting days now.

_DEATH EATERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN!_

_Early this morning, the alarms at the Ministry of Magic were blaring, informing the Auror division of a security breach at Azkaban prison. For several months now, the grotesque and feared Dementors that played what we thought were loyal guards to the prison's residents have been missing, leaving the prison to be manned by Aurors themselves. Suspected to have gone to serve He-who-must-not-be-named, the Dementors actions have now classified them as highly dangerous creatures to be avoided at all costs. _

_After a brief inspection this morning, it was discovered that five prisoners have disappeared and in their place were Muggles under the Imperius curse. Three of those Muggles are now suffering from permanent dementia and the Auror staff is unsure of exactly how long the prisoners have been missing. After a brief search through Muggle missing reports, it is estimated that the prisoner switch could have occurred as far back as five days ago._

_Minister Fudge is personally looking into the affair and promises swift and effective action. For further updates, continue reading the Daily Prophet in the days to come._

_Daily Prophet Reporter, Rita Skeeter._

Below the article were the five pictures of the escaped convicts and just as Harry had seen in his nightmare, Lucius Malfoy's gaunt face sneered up from the black and white journal. He had been right all along, and now Dumbledore would have to believe him. The only problem now was that he still lacked any hard evidence against Professor Black.

Harry tossed the Prophet down for the others to read and quickly entered the next room where he was certain he would find Mrs. Weasley speaking with the Headmaster.

'Professor,' he called at seeing the old wizards head staring gravely up out of the green flames. 'Do you believe me now? Lucius Malfoy is free and I know that Professor Black is a Death Eater,' he said loudly, trying to get his message across.

'Harry, I'm afraid I should have believed you about Malfoy, but I'm afraid we both saw Hyacinth's forearms and she did not bear the Dark Mark. I still believe that Tom is trying to confuse you, and turn you against our good Professor for some reason or another.'

'Good professor!' Harry exclaimed in outrage. 'If she's good, then I must be Death himself, I can't think of a single thing that woman has done to help our side,' he continued to shout.

'She is a valuable member of the Order and I must ask that you lower your voice Harry. While I may not be able to change your opinion of her, I must ask that you not convey these ideas to others, no matter how bothersome you find them,' the Headmaster said seriously and sighed heavily.

Harry stopped speaking when he learned that Professor Black was in fact a member of the Order of the Phoenix. How dare she infiltrate the Order right under Dumbledore crooked nose? And furthermore, how could the Headmaster be so blind to what was more than obvious about the Dark woman? Having nothing more to say, Harry shook his head in disgust and stomped out of the room, trying his best to keep his anger in check so not to ruin the entire day. Why of all the days did the article have to be published today?

Harry sat back down at the breakfast table and watched darkly as everyone discussed the Prophet article with interest. Not one among them seemed frightened or even disturbed, but several were angry. Ginny and Ron were angriest of all, and Harry could tell that they felt the same as he did, for they had risked their lives the night the escapees had been captured and imprisoned.

In an attempt to salvage what was left of the day, Harry took a deep breath and pushed his concerns to the back of his mind before smiling and asking Lily to pass the platter of bacon. Understanding what he was trying to do, everyone else fell silent about the subject at had and continued to eat in relative silence. Harry could tell that they all wanted to continue discussing it and that they were not simply for his sake.

After their meal, the teenagers decided to play a quick game of Quidditch with Alicia, Angelina and Charlie for old time's sake. Though Harry was not sure how fun it would be, all of his worries disappeared the instant he felt the wind rushing past him on his Firebolt. Once again, it was difficult to decide who the better seeker was when both boys won an equal amount of matches and they agreed to be equals.

Once they had finished their games and cleaned up, James mentioned again that he wanted to go into Hogsmeade to make a few last-minute purchases. Everyone agreed that it would be fun to go into the village and Harry very much wanted a butterbeer, having missed going to Hogsmeade with his friends due to his month and a half long trip through time.

It was not long before the friends had bundled themselves up in scarves and gloves and were walking down the narrow road to Honeydukes. Harry glanced up at the slanted Shrieking Shack as they passed it and remembered the night he had spent on the cold wooden floor several weeks ago. He could not believe that Remus had done that for so many years.

The shops were far more deserted than Harry had ever seen them, on account of it being Christmas holidays meaning that most students had gone home to see their families. This made selecting sweets and joke items far simpler without the large crowds and before long, James Sirius and Lily had all bought a sufficient amount of items. Harry had waited outside of Zonko's joke shop with Ron and Ginny, as they both felt unwelcome in the shop and did not dare go in for fear that the owner would yell at them.

They all had a quick butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks where Madam Rosmerta took a seat and chatted kindly with them all, before the group of seven students made its way back up to the Nest.

Time sped by upon their return and before Harry knew it, dinner was served and they all sat down for their last meal together. Mrs. Weasley had made another large dinner, saying that it was a special goodbye meal, and made the favorites of all three guests.

Up until the knocker announced Dumbledore's arrival, Harry had managed to pretend that his parents were not leaving, but when the old wizard strode into the kitchen, he knew it was time to say goodbye. Ron and Ginny said their farewells and left the kitchen with their mother and the others residents, but Harry was surprised to see Marc stay behind.

He was uncharacteristically quiet for a while before Lily gave him a long hug and told him that she would miss him. Marc looked on the verge of tears as he hugged her back and then went on to hug James and Sirius as well. Harry had not realised how close Marc had felt to his friends, but then again, he had known them for as long as Harry had.

Once Marc had left the room, Dumbledore waved his wand and the pensieve he had lent Harry before appeared on the table in front of him.

'I thought that perhaps you would all like to leave your memories of your time here with Harry, rather than having them altered.'

All three of them nodded and smiled their approval before the Headmaster gave them a moment of privacy and left the room. Harry simply stood in front of the three people he had wished he would have in his life for so long. He could not decide what to say because there really was no way to say goodbye to your parents forever. Thankfully it was Sirius who spoke first.

'Well Harry, I'm not so great with goodbyes so I'll make it quick. I've had some of the greatest times of my life with you and Marc and I want you to know that you really are a great kid. I'm just sorry that I don't get to see more of you.'

Harry could feel warm tears falling down his cheeks as he stepped forward to hug his Godfather goodbye.

'I'm so sorry Sirius,' Harry whispered.

'Don't be. You did a great thing for me Harry. You saved me from a fate worse than death, and you gave me two more years to get to know you. I'm really glad your parents choose me to be your Godfather,' he said with misty eyes and a grin. 'Oh, and do me a favor would you? Take care of ol' Moony alright. He's going to need someone as bad as you. Just remember that,' he said with a wink, and then proceeded to remove the wispy strands of memory from his mind.

With the crucial memories floating in the stone basin and his trunk floating behind him, Sirius Black gave a last wave in Harry's direction before leaving the kitchen to find Dumbledore. Now Harry was left standing with only his parents and a warm and tear-stained face.

'There's really no good way to say goodbye to you is there,' Lily said, also crying now, and Harry shook his head as James blinked away a tear as well.

'I'm so glad I got to meet you. I've wished of nothing else for so many years and I finally got what I wanted. I guess it goes to show that if you do enough right for the good side, it really does pay off,' he sighed.

'Oh Harry,' Lily said, and gathered him in a tight hug. 'You deserve so much better.'

'We're both really proud of you Harry, and we know that you're going to be just fine,' James said, stepping forward to hug his family.

'Well, I may be seeing you again sooner than you think,' Harry said quietly.

'Don't you talk like that,' Lily said firmly, pushing him back a bit and staring him in the eyes. Remus told us about what you told him in the Shrieking Shack.'

'He what?' Harry said in surprise.

'You mustn't be angry with him Harry. He just thought we should know,' James said.

'I know you're going to make the right decision Harry,' Lily said with a teary smile.

'And you're going to win,' James said confidently.

'I hope so,' Harry said in a wavering voice. 'I have little option really. It's murder or be murdered so either I join you both very shortly or I become a murderer. Wonderful isn't it? What you always hoped for in a son,' he tried to laugh it off.

'It's going to be alright Harry,' James said. 'And no one will think less of you for staying alive. You have been chosen for great things, and no matter what happens you need to know how much your mother and I love you. You've had a ridiculously hard life and I just wish I could have been there to help you through it all. When you finally fight Voldemort I'm certain that you will succeed where I failed,' he said with a firm nod.

'You didn't fail at all dad,' Harry whispered with a quivering lip. 'You stood in front of Voldemort and denied him what he wanted, knowing full well what the consequences would be. When I heard both of you stand up to him the way you did, I'd never been prouder in my life to be Harry Potter.'

'You were there?' James said in shock and looked horrified when Harry turned his eyes away.

'Oh Harry!' His mother rushed forward to hug him again. 'No child should ever have to see that. I'm so sorry.'

For the next few minutes the three teenagers hugged in silence; each of them understood who they were and how much they meant to one another. To anyone looking in on the scene it would have looked like three best friends saying farewell, but to Harry it was the second chance he had waited sixteen years for.

Harry watched in silence as his parents added their memories to Sirius' and then they all left the kitchen to find the Headmaster. He and Sirius were waiting for them in the living room next to the large fire grate where they appeared to be having an interesting conversation. When Harry entered the room with his parents, Dumbledore stood and handed Sirius a bit of parchment; probably the directions for his younger self to follow when the teens got home safely

'Now if you could all please grab hold of the portkey,' he said kindly, holding out a blue and yellow wool sock. 'We need to be in my office before I send you back.'

Lily hugged him again and whispered something interesting into his ear.

'Take care of your aunt and your cousin for me. I know she can be difficult, but you have to understand that she has your best interest at heart.'

Harry promised that he would, and she stepped back to where Sirius and Dumbledore stood. James walked up to give him one last hug as well, and he too whispered something strange.

'I didn't want to say anything before, but you talk in your sleep. You said the prophecy over and over again last night, and I may be wrong, but only one thing came to mind. Use our wands.'

This being said he stepped back to join the others and they all grabbed hold of the old sock in the Headmaster's hand. The last thing Harry saw of his parents and Godfather was their smiling faces and his mother calling out 'I love you,' before they disappeared.

After his family's departure, Harry had immediately gone up to his shared room and asked Marc and Ron to leave him alone. He changed into his pyjamas with the intentions of sleeping for the next five days and not leaving the bed until Hermione had to come and drag him back to the castle for lessons.

He had sealed his pensieve and placed it securely in his trunk where it now lay as the single most valuable thing in his life. He decided that he would go through the memories another day, when the pain of losing his parents was not so fresh. Laying his head down, Harry found it difficult to clear his mind of thought but at this point he really did not want to clear it. He fell asleep rather quickly and his mind immediately began dreaming.

These dreams were not the average Harry Potter dreams however. They were comprised of silly memories with the Marauders and of his adventures at Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione. For once his dreams were rather enjoyable, until things changed from the regular smooth scenes of fun and excitement, to frightening snap-shot like images flashing before his eyes. He saw Death Eater masks and Voldemort's snake like face. Then he saw Lucius Malfoy's signature smirk and finally Hermione's tear-stained and screaming face.'

Harry sat bolt-upright in bed and looked around frantically. Marc and Ron were both sleeping soundly and everything was perfectly still. Still not breathing properly, Harry leapt out of his four-poster and grabbed his wand off the bedside table before rushing over to shake Ron awake.

'Ron! Ron get up quick. We have to go,' he shouted and did not wait for a response before going on to shake Marc awake as well.

'What is it Harry?' Ron groaned as he sat up in his bed. 'Did you have another nightmare?'

'It's Hermione Ron. She's in trouble. We've got to get to her.'

Before he had even finished his sentence, Ron was on his feet with his wand in his hand.

'We'll Floo then?' Ron said in a panicked voice, but was confused when Marc picked up a piece of parchment and asked Harry to write down Hermione's address.

'We're using a Portkey,' he said, and not a moment later the three boys felt the familiar sensation of a hook behind their navel and the feeling of pavement beneath their feet.

Looking up at the row of nearly identical townhouses, Harry was mortified to see, fifty feet in the air above Hermione's home, the large green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth; the Dark Mark.

Without even thinking, Harry began to sprint toward the front door of the yellow home, hoping with all his might that they were not too late. Ron was several steps ahead of him and was the first to bang through the slightly open front door. What Harry saw next nearly made him vomit.

The walls of the narrow entrance corridor were covered in the scorch marks of ricocheted curses, and at the end of the hall two masked Death Eaters were standing over Hermione's prone figure with their wands still trained on her.

Before he could even react, Ron had rushed forward and in a voice Harry had never heard before cried 'Avada Kedavra!'

Harry and Marc watched as the green light rushed at the nearest Death Eater and heard the familiar hollow thump of his lifeless body hitting the floor. The other Death Eater froze in shock at the power of the killing curse, before quickly recovering and disapparating before Ron could fire another shot.

Ron was the first to reach Hermione on the floor and quickly rolled her over to face them. Harry felt tears roll down his face as he stared into the familiar glassy eyes he had seen on both of his parents the night they died. His hurt shout of anger joined Ron's and filled the air as Ron openly sobbed and held Hermione's body up to his chest.

'No! You're not gone,' he cried. 'You can't be Hermione. I love you.'

The soft popping sounds of wizards apparating had Harry turn to find Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt arriving with Remus Lupin.

'We were too late,' was all Harry heard Marc tell Tonks before he slumped to the ground in tears.

He could hear her telling Ron that he needed to let go of Hermione, but he continued to grip her as he sobbed. The last thing Harry saw before everything went dark was Tonks grabbing hold of Ron's robes and all three figures disappearing.


	26. Strength in Numbers

**Chapter 25: Strength in Numbers

* * *

**

The days following Hermione's death were some of the darkest Harry had lived through yet. He had awoken in a dimly lit room with his head pounding and memories of what he had seen still fresh in his mind. Looking around the room, Harry did not have time to focus on anything before leaning over the edge of his bed and being sick all over the floor.

Seconds after righting himself into a sitting position, the door to the room burst open and a red and puffy-faced Mrs. Weasley came running in.

'Harry, are you alright dear? Oh Harry,' she said at seeing the mess on the floor.

He looked up at her for a moment and tried to block out the thoughts of what he'd seen before passing out. He saw Mrs. Weasley use her wand to clean his mess and he turned to ask her the only question on his mind.

'Hermione. Is she-' he paused, not wanting to say it else it might be true.

Molly simply stared at him silently as her eyes filled with tears and then streaked down her face. That was all the answer he needed.

'I'm so sorry Harry,' she cried, and rushed over to pull him into a hug.

Harry normally would have liked to be alone, but as Mrs., Weasley would obviously be feeling the pain as well, he hugged her back and tried to fight the urge to be sick again. Hermione was gone. One of his very best friends in the world was dead and there had been nothing he could do about it. He thought about her prone figure on the hallway floor, and then the glassy and empty look in her eyes once Ron had rolled her over. This thought made him think of his other closest friend.

'What of Ron?' he managed to ask quietly and felt Mrs. Weasley's body wrack as she let out a sob.

'Oh Harry, it's not good. They've had him in St. Mungos now for three days and he won't speak to anyone,' she said and covered her mouth as she trembled.

'Three days?' Harry asked suddenly. 'I've been asleep for three days? Why did nobody wake me? I could have been there for Ron,' he added slightly angry.

'We tried Harry, but you just wouldn't have it. We had you at St. Mungos as well and even the best Healers couldn't get you to stir. They said that when someone suffers something as traumatic-' she paused and trembled again at the thought. 'Sometimes people don't want to wake up Harry,' she said.

'Has that happened to Ron?' he asked, fearful of losing his other closest friend.

'No, he hasn't slept since that night,' she told him gravely. 'I try to talk to him everyday, but he won't have any of it. He simply stares off at the wall with a blank expression. I don't know what I'll do if I lose him,' she began to sob once more.

Harry pulled himself together best he could and tried to push his pain to the back of his mind. He had to be strong; for Ron, for Mrs. Weasley, and definitely for Hermione. The cleverest, most brilliant and astounding girl he had ever met was no longer around because Voldemort had sent his followers to kill her. Harry knew this would happen and now it had begun; Voldemort was going to hurt him by taking away the things he loved the most. Ron was not safe at St. Mungos.

'Mrs. Weasley, I know this is terrible and everyone is hurting but we have to stay strong. If we don't, Voldemort wins.' The redheaded woman started at his use of the Dark Lord's name and Harry tried not to lose his patience. 'He had obviously been waiting for an opportunity to get one of the closest people to me and he jumped at the window over holidays. Ron will be next if I'm right. We have to get him out of St. Mungos now,' he said in a firm voice and got to his feet to look for his clothes.

Mrs. Weasley looked startled for a moment, but then collected herself as well and got to her feet. 'Harry, Ron is not in danger from you-know-who. Though I'm sure Hermione was on a list,' her expression faltered momentarily at the use of Hermione's name, 'she was not the only person harmed over the holidays.'

Harry felt sick again and sat back down on the bed. If she told him that any of his other friends were gone there was no way he would wake up from whatever sleep took him.

'Who else?' he ventured to ask, hoping with all his might that his friends were safe.

'I don't have any names to give you Harry,' Mrs. Weasley said sadly. 'All we know is that eight other Hogwarts students were attacked in their homes over break. Every one of them was Muggle-born, leaving them without any sort of magical defense.'

Harry stared in shock at what he heard. Of all the things Voldemort could do, he chose the most simple and cowardly plan of attack. Death Eaters preying on the students without magical parents was simply less than an unfair fight and Harry should really have guessed that to be the plan. He had after all begun by eliminating the Squibs, and the only thing with less magic than them was a Muggle. All of a sudden Harry's eyes widened as he thought of something.

'Mrs. and Mr. Granger?' he shouted. 'Did they make it out alright?'

'Yes dear,' Mrs. Weasley said; the tears in her eyes began to glisten as they built up once more. 'From what they told Tonks, Hermione managed to hold the Death Eaters off alone for nearly twenty minutes before-' she stopped again to cover her mouth in grief.

Harry took a moment to process all he had just learned. Hermione was gone but her parents were safe, Ron was in some sort of shock and unresponsive to guests, and Voldemort had attacked eight others on the same night as Hermione. What was he supposed to do? How did someone deal with so much grief and danger without showing signs of hurt? It was exactly what Harry intended to do, yet somehow he felt he would be hurting those closest to Hermione by not showing his pain. For now it was something he would have to do, for grief would not yield any productive end. On the other hand, vengeance would be the closest thing Harry felt could lessen his pain.

Taking a good look around the room he was in, Harry noticed a familiar portrait on the wall and realised for the first time where he was. The stern face of Phineas Nigellus stared down at him with narrowed eyes, causing Harry to throw him a look that dared him to say anything disrespectful. Phineas took this as a serious threat and nodded briskly before leaving his frame; most likely to report to Dumbledore.

'Why am I here?' Harry asked. 'Why couldn't I stay at St. Mungos or go back to Hogwarts?' he pressed, upset that he was once again in the one place that could dredge up more painful memories at the worst possible time.

'Professor Dumbledore thought at first that perhaps your theory was correct and wants to ensure that you and your closest friends are out of harms way while things are taken care of,' Mrs. Weasley told him.

'While things are taken care of?' Harry asked scathingly, surprising Molly. 'What exactly does that mean? Is dealing with Hermione's death a chore to all of you? Is it something that you all have to clean up?' he continued to vent his anger.

'Harry calm down. You know that's not what I meant,' the short woman said with a stern look on her face. 'You were not the only person to care for Hermione and I never want to hear you talk like that again,' she scolded. 'I came here to make certain that you were alright, though I know that's hardly plausible, and now I'm going to go back downstairs and join the others for dinner. If you feel up to it you should join us. You must be hungry.'

'I want to go see Ron,' Harry said firmly, but the immediate stony look on Mrs. Weasley's face told him that no matter how hard he tried there would be no leaving Grimmauld Place.

Harry did not want to see anyone but Ron at the moment and he did not have the patience to sit around in a home filled with old memories and heartache while people did their best to comfort him. He was about to turn Mrs. Weasley's offer of dinner down when his stomach grumbled and he conceded to the fact that he was actually quite hungry.

'I'll be down in a few moments,' Harry said and tried to force a smile onto his face to appease Mrs. Weasley before she left the room.

Several minutes passed while Harry did a shortened version of his Occlumency training, effectively clearing his mind and doing his best not to exhibit any signs of emotion. For the first time in his life he found himself wishing that Professor Snape was there to help him in his exercise

Harry then walked down the three flights of stairs to the main floor where he could faintly hear the voices of Mrs. Weasley and her older sons speaking quietly. He opened the kitchen door and found all of the Weasleys save for Ron and Ginny seated around the long table with Fleur, Gabrielle, Remus, Marc and the other inhabitants of the Nest. Harry had completely forgotten that Marc had been with him and Ron three nights ago.

Looking at the curly-haired boy's face, it was instantly obvious that he was in pain just as the others in the room were. Dark circles had taken up residence under his eyes and his regular uplifting face was hardened and serious like Harry had never seen. Next to him were the twins and Lee Jordan, and all of them were looking just a morose. Fred and George Weasley were well known for their uplifting personalities, but today, there was not even the slightest indication in their features that anything remotely funny had ever happened in their presence.

Across from them were Bill, Charlie, Angelina, Alicia, Fleur and Gabrielle, all of whom looked deeply disturbed; Fleur and Gabrielle's normally flawless faces were blotched with red and their eyes were puffy as evidence of their crying.

'Are you feeling better, Harry?' Remus asked in a quiet voice, though he knew what the reply would be.

'I'm fine,' Harry gave a monotone response without looking up, and then reached over to start piling food onto his plate.

He could feel everyone's gazes on him as he began to eat and tried his best to pretend they were not there. There was really no time to waste on getting emotional; Hermione would not be avenged by crying. Everybody ate in relative silence, only curt requests for dishes interrupting the quiet meal, until a knock on the front door had Mrs. Weasley getting up to answer it.

Moments later Mrs. Weasley returned, closely followed by an extremely tired-looking Headmaster. Dumbledore walked into the room and took a seat next to Arthur, sighing heavily and removing his glasses to wipe them clean. It was the first time Harry had ever seen the Headmaster remove his lenses, and he was disappointed to find the normally sparkling blue orbs behind them to be flat and tired.

'Has there been any more news Albus,' Arthur asked cautiously, and Harry realised he meant to ask about the other people attacked.

'Yes Arthur,' the old wizard sighed once more. 'I'm afraid that as of ten minutes ago, Hogwarts' numbers went down by one more. Travis Trenalee simply could not be helped any more, nor could he hold on any longer.'

Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley held a hand to her mouth and he noticed the tears in many others' eyes. He did not know Travis well, but remembered seeing the boy sorted into Ravenclaw his fourth year and regretted not getting to know him better.

'How many all together?' Harry spoke up suddenly and everyone at the table looked at him oddly.

'What do you mean, Harry?' Dumbledore asked in response.

'Mrs. Weasley told me that nine students were attacked, and now I know that two of them are gone. I would like to now how many other of my classmates were murdered,' he explained in the same steady voice he had answered Remus with.

Dumbledore looked at him oddly for the briefest of moments before taking a breath and answering.

'There are currently three survivors,' he said sadly. 'Zacharius Smith of Ravenclaw has been sent home to recuperate and should make a full recovery. Dennis Creevey has also been released but refuses to leave his brother, who unfortunately has yet to be successfully awakened from whatever particular curse he was struck by.'

Harry continued to keep his face emotionless, but felt his cheek twitch slightly at the mention of Collin Creevey's name. Hard as he tried, he could not help but feel badly for the fifth year Prefect that had started his fan club and constantly been there to support him. He now felt even more guilty for having torn into him months back. Harry cleared his mind again and found it increasingly difficult to listen as Dumbledore listed the students who had not made it. Counting Hermione and Travis, there were now two less Hufflepuffs, one less Ravenclaw and then of course another Gryffindor. Harry nearly exploded when he heard of Deidre's death.

The small first year girl had been so kind and had not deserved to be attacked and murdered in her home. Harry could now feel his rage rising and used all the power he had to focus on his Occlumency exercises as the light above the table began to flicker. He started to calm down and reopened his eyes when Dumbledore made his next comment.

'Save for one student, Harry, the survivors were all students whose names were written on your sign up sheet for Dumbledore's Army.'

Harry could not help but look up at the Headmaster at this point with curiosity.

'I realise you must be feeling a lot at this time, but I feel it would be prudent to ask if you might consider restarting your group, only this time allowing students from all houses to participate.'

Harry could only groan inwardly as he thought about what it would mean to restart the D.A. He did not have the time to try and teach the entire school hexes and curses, especially when he would be constantly interrupted by the less than cooperative Slytherins.

'I'll refuse to join again if the Slytherins participate,' came Ginny's shaky voice from the doorway, and Harry turned to see her puffy red face set in a stony glare at the Headmaster. 'You might still be set on House unity Professor,' she nearly spat in obvious anger, 'but you're simply clinging onto false hope. The Slytherins will never be our allies.'

'Ginny!' Mrs. Weasley shouted at her daughter's surprising behaviour.

'No mum,' Ginny continued to talk through a clenched jaw. 'You might all be trying to avoid the obvious, but I refuse to. Each house lost two students, and Gryffindor had twice the number of attempts, while Slytherin had none. You can argue with this until you're blue in the face Headmaster,' she ground out, 'but in the end, my best friend is dead and I refuse to be a part of a group that teaches anything to the enemy.'

All of the Weasley's simply stared at Ginny in disbelief as she stared them all down coldly. Dumbledore watched her with interest and what Harry figured was sympathy. While surprised by her comments, Harry knew that every person at the table knew what she said to be true, and for that reason they stayed silent.

'Now if you'll excuse me,' Ginny said coldly, 'I have friends to remember while you all plan the quickest way to aid their attackers.'

This being said, the small red-haired girl turned on her heel and stomped back up the stairs to her bedroom. Harry was surprised when Marc jumped to his feet and quickly ran out of the kitchen after her. The rest of the gathered  
company appeared just as surprised.

The next few moments were spent in silence as everyone simply stared at their plates of food, or at a blank patch on the wall. Harry was the first to speak when he noticed Dumbledore was still waiting for a response.

'I'm sorry Professor, but Ginny's right. I can't teach students who are possibly going to take what they learn and use it on one of us. I would never forgive myself.'

'But Harry,' Remus interrupted then and placed a hand on his shoulder, only to remove it quickly when Harry looked down at it, 'You could really help the students who need and deserve the training. Don't punish them because you want to punish the Slytherins.'

'I'm sorry sir,' he answered the werewolf formally, and turned back to Dumbledore. 'I've made my mind up. Neville asked me earlier this year to restart the D.A., and I told him the same thing then. I did however have another suggestion.'

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and waited for Harry's idea, hoping it would be nearly as good as the boy's secret Defense society.

'I believe that the students would do well to restart the dueling club sir. We could all use the practice, and honestly when the time comes, it will be our ability to duel that saves us.'

Harry was surprised to see the Headmaster think about it for a moment before the edges of his mouth turned upward and a tiny bit of the sparkle in his eyes returned. 'Wonderful idea Harry,' he said and turned to Remus. 'I'll assume that Professor Lupin here was the Duelling Professor you had in mind.'

'One of them, yes. But he's not good enough alone.' Harry replied, and saw the surprise on both men's faces.

'You don't feel I could do it alone?' Remus asked honestly. 'I thought we did quite well over summer,' he added in his defense.

'I meant no disrespect sir, but no,' Harry explained. 'I simply mean that none of the teachers I have in mind would be ideal to teach us alone, but together you could offer us everything we would need.'

'And who exactly have you elected to be my partner?' Remus asked curiously.

'Well, I think, and I may be wrong, but your Defense work paired with Professor Snape's dueling abilities and Professor Flitwick's Charms would be more than perfect.'

'Snape?' Remus said in surprise, and Harry laughed inwardly to see the shocked expressions on everyone's faces around him.

'Yes, Snape,' Harry replied calmly. 'While he and I may not be the best of friends, I cannot deny his abilities with a wand any more than I can his influence over his students. The Slytherins would not willingly participate in a club led by me, or even you sir,' he looked at Remus, 'but I am more than certain they would join a club led by their Head Of House.'

'I agree,' Dumbledore said now, but was interrupted as everyone at the table turned towards the entrance hall, from where loud shouts were now emerging.

One voice was clearly the shrill and rasping voice of Mrs. Black, but the other surprised many of them when they stepped through the doorway to find Marc bellowing, red-faced at the old woman, not even a foot away from the portrait.

'YOU FILTHY MONGREL, DARING TO TAINT MY HOME BY BRINGING YOUR FILTHY BLOOD THROUGH THE DOOR!' came Black's shouts.

'YOU SHUT YOUR COW MOUTH YOU WRETCHED WOMAN!' Marc shouted back ferociously, stopping everyone in the door.

Lupin made to move forward and close the hangings, but Dumbledore held up a hand so to leave Marc another minute. No one understood what was happening so they continued to watch in wonder.

'JUST THE THOUGHT OF YOUR DISGUSTING, TRAITOROUS FORM TOUCHING ANYTHING IN THIS NOBLE HOME MAKES ME SICK!' the old woman continued her tirade. 'DON'T ACT LIKE YOU BELONG HERE MONGREL! IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU HE'S DEAD!'

Those were the last words Harry ever heard emerge from Mrs. Black's portrait.

'DON'T YOU DARE! I HATE YOU!' Marc screamed, before lifting his wand and slashing it down in a complicated pattern while screaming a curse Harry never thought he would hear. 'MORSUS ADIFICIO!'

Mrs. Black's terrified howls were joined by Mrs. Weasley's shriek of surprise while she watched along with the other Order members as a blinding white light emerged from the painting for several moments before fading along with the screams. When Harry unshielded his eyes he found Marc panting heavily as he glared at the now immobile portrait of Mrs. Black.

'Now you'll never hurt my family again,' he hissed scathingly at the portrait to everyone's surprise, before reaching up with a hand and tearing a large gash through the center of her face.

This being done, he turned to face the many shocked faces in the doorway before nodding curtly and rushing up the stairs to his room.

Before anyone could ask what had just transpired, the Headmaster looked up with a smile and announced his departure. 'As soon as term restarts I will speak with Severus and Filius and ask them if they are willing to help. I am certain that this dueling club will help immensely.'

Harry nodded his approval and said a quick goodbye to the Headmaster before heading to the staircase to find out exactly what he had just seen. He stopped for a moment though as he passed Mrs. Black's silent portrait and turned with a smirk. 'Besides, if the Slytherins join, it will give the other students incentive to do well in hexing and cursing.'

The next morning, Harry found himself wrinkling his nose and squinting his eyes at the sterile smell and blindingly white colour of the corridors of St. Mungos hospital for magical maladies. The drive to the hospital had been uneventful and uncomfortable; he had gone with Remus and Arthur, and neither of them knew what to say to him the whole way there so they remained silent.

Harry had tried speaking to Marc the night before about his scene with the portrait, but Marc had simply shrugged it off and told him that she had annoyed him. Harry did not believe it, but as it was clear the boy was still hurting from Hermione's loss, he decided not to press any further for the time being.

Once on the floor for severe magical injury and irreversible damage, Harry made his way straight toward a medi-witch who directed him to Ron's room. Mr. Weasley and Lupin agreed to give him five minutes alone with Ron, but warned him not to expect too much as they had now been told Ron was lost. Refusing to believe this, Harry stepped into the bright room and closed the door tightly behind him.

The entire room was stark white, and held only three pieces of furniture. A single metal chair was against the wall, next to a low desk with several Quidditch magazines littering its top, and up against the far wall was a small bed covered in white linen that housed a red-haired teenager. Harry walked over to the bed and looked down at his best friend who looked to him like he was daydreaming. He sat down on the edge of the bed and thought of what to say while Ron continued to stare at the wall with a blank expression.

'Hey Ron,' he started by dropping his mask and smiling. 'I don't know what to say right now because I know nothing will help. I loved Hermione too, but you already knew that. Everyone's real worried about you, you know, and the healers have told your mum that they've lost you now too. I know that's not true though,' he said and dropped a hand onto Ron's knee. 'I know it's not true, because I know you wouldn't leave me all alone to deal with this. You wouldn't leave me too.'

Ron simply stared off at the wall without any acknowledgement of Harry's presence in the room.

'You have to come home Ron,' he said now. 'I need you to come home. I can't make Voldemort pay alone, and I want you to be the one to help me. If there's one other person who understands the mistake Voldemort made in killing our best friend, it's you Ron.'

Still Ron said nothing. Harry looked up at his pale, freckled face and his dimmed blue eyes before sighing and getting to his feet. He had thought for certain that Ron would answer him, or at least explain why he was refusing to speak to anyone.

'I'm sorry you lost her Ron. I'll come back and see you when I can,' he said quietly in defeat before heading to the door to leave.

'How do we kill him?' Ron's cracking voice made Harry turn around. 'How exactly do we make Voldemort pay?'

The next several hours were filled with Healers asking questions, and visitors being ecstatic at Ron miraculous recovery. Harry could not help but smile at Ron's obvious dislike of the attention. It served him right for putting on his little act; Hermione being gone was no reason to shut himself off from everyone else.

After being forced to wait in the corridor for nearly an hour, Harry decided that he would pay Collin and Dennis a visit to pass the time. He told Mr. Weasley where he would be and then quickly took the stairs to the next floor where he knew he would find the brothers, and most likely Gilderoy Lockhart as well.

Walking into the familiar long room turned out to be far more depressing than Harry had anticipated. The white walls remained white, but seemed to be slightly grey now in appearance. Professor Lockhart was in fact present but fast asleep, greatly reducing the noise level in the somber room. Harry glanced to the left and found that Collin was still very much unconscious in the bed that had once been host to a member of the Order and a carnivorous plant.

As he approached the bed, Dennis lifted his head from where it lay next to his brothers still body.

'Harry?' he said calmly but with a hint of surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

Harry smiled at the small boy and tried to look cheerful for his sake. Dark circles had taken up under his eyes and Harry had never seen the Gryffindor enthusiast look less lively.

'I Thought I'd pop in for a quick visit Dennis. How is he doing?'

'The healers say that he'll be just fine as soon as he wakes up. But the problem is they can't say when that'll be,' Dennis replied sadly and reached up to grab hold of his brother's hand. 'I'm sure he'll be glad to know that you stopped by though,' he added and gave a weak smile.

'Be sure to tell him the instant he wakes up alright,' Harry told the boy encouragingly, pulling a genuine smile onto his face as he nodded.

'The Headmaster told me you did a great job defending yourselves,' Harry said now, deciding that the small boy could use all the perks he could get.

'Did he?' he asked in surprise. 'I didn't really do all that much. Just a few shields and things of the sort. You should have seen Collin though. He kept them away long enough for mum and Dad to get away. I was so proud of him.'

'I'm sure you both did a wonderful job, and I wanted to tell you personally that when we get back to Hogwarts, Dumbledore has given me permission to restart the Dueling club. Would you be interested?'

Harry nearly laughed out loud at the excitement that filled the younger boy's face as he nodded enthusiastically. This was the Dennis Creevey Harry knew.

'Alright Dennis, take care and I'll see both of you back at school.'

Walking back toward the door, Harry looked down to the other end of the long room and found that the last section had its hangings pulled shut around it. He remembered this section to house the Longbottoms and suddenly felt saddened as he thought of Neville. He did not envy the boy at all. Terrible as it was to think, Harry was glad that his parents were dead and gone, and not suffering in a mental ward where they could not even recognize one another. That would have been torture for him.

Harry walked passed the door and toward the beds at the end of the room, deciding that perhaps he could say hello to the parents of one of his good friends. Certainly visitors would not harm them. Harry stopped several beds away when he heard an old woman's voice from behind the hanging and recognized it to be Mrs. Longbottom's, Neville's grandmother.

'Oh yes Frank, you would have been very proud of him,' her gruff voice said. 'He fought very bravely alongside Harry Potter himself and came out with hardly a scratch.'

Harry stayed where he was, listening to the old woman praise her grandson for what he understood to be the first time.

'Unfortunately he broke your wand though Frank, but now he's been using yours Alice dear. He's been doing remarkably lately and I think that after all these years it may have actually been the wand,' she gave a small chuckle. 'Anyhow, we must be going now. Say goodbye Neville, and I'll be waiting in the corridor,' she said in her regular rough tone.

Harry froze. Neville was just on the other side of the curtain and he really did not want to be seen by him. Harry remembered the last time he'd seen the blonde boy visiting his parents and thought of how embarrassed and uncomfortable he had appeared. Harry turned quickly to leave, but only made it about ten steps away before he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Mrs. Longbottom staring at him from underneath her enormous vulture hat.

'Mister Potter,' she addressed him. 'How nice of you to stop by for a visit. Does Neville know you're here?' she inquired.

'Not yet, no.' he answered sheepishly and continued to explain that he was just about to go and say hello.

'Very well. Neville should be out in a moment. Simply tell him that when the two of you are done speaking, that he can come and find me in the tea room.'

Harry nodded and said goodbye to the elderly woman as she left the room. Once again alone, Harry started back to the curtain, intending to go in and s ay hello to his friend and his parents. Unfortunately, as he got closer he could once again hear Neville speaking and decided to wait until he was done before intruding. He considered leaving, but then decided that Neville would be asked how his meeting with Harry had gone and would then seem rude. Instead he simply waited.

'It wasn't all that really,' he heard Neville say. 'Harry did most of the work really. All I did was get in the way and then I broke your wand.'

Harry did not need to see Neville to know that he was looking ashamed as he spoke to his father. Harry felt badly for him and wanted nothing more than to tell him that he had been incredibly useful at the Department of Mysteries.

'Gran wasn't lying though when she said I've gotten better at my spells. It's incredible really. I'm not really supposed to tell anyone, but I have to tell you both because I'm not sure how I feel about it. I spoke with Dumbledore the other day in his office, and I found out that I'm Godric Gryffindor's heir, and that you were before me dad. I guess you didn't know, but now I do and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.'

There was pause then, and Harry nearly expected a response from one of the boy's parents, but nothing came but a soft rustling noise and then Neville thanked his mother. Harry realised that she must have given him another sweet wrapper.

'No matter what happens, I promise I'll make you both proud. Harry is a little worried about what will happen, but I don't really care. I have one thing to do and if it's the last thing I do, I promise I'll make her pay,' Neville's voice sounded lower and full of bitterness.

Harry's eyes widened as he heard this and he was not sure what to do. Neville was planning on getting revenge for his parents, but when and how did he intend to do it? Harry felt suddenly worried as he thought of Neville confronting Bellatrix on his own. There was no way he could defeat her, and he would probably end up in a bed next to his parents leaving Harry with more guilt than he could bear. One more thing he would have to deal with once school restarted.

'Dumbledore told me something else though,' Neville's voice seemed uneasy now, and Harry crept closer to better hear what he was about to tell them.

Slightly parting the hangings, Harry could see Neville's back as he faced his parents each in their respective beds. Mrs. Longbottom had not changed at all since the last time Harry had seen her at St. Mungos, however Harry was deeply saddened when he thought of how she and her husband had appeared at his parents wedding several months back.

'I know it's hard to believe, but mum, I finally got the family trait.'

Harry watched as, for the briefest of moments, Alice Longbottom looked up at her son and smiled. It warmed Harry through to see her look like that, even though it was barely a sliver of what she had once looked like while smiling. Neville appeared to agree with Harry's thoughts as he rushed forward and hugged his mother tightly.

'This is really great,' Neville said then, in an extremely decisive voice. 'Now I've got help from both of you, and not just you dad. It's as though someone wants me to finally get back at that foul woman.'

This statement was followed by a moment of silence before Neville leaned forward and gave both of parents a hug. Harry decided to walk away quietly at that point and waited for Neville near the door. Not a moment later, the blond boy turned the corner looking rather pleased for having just visited with his parents.

'Harry?' he called when he saw him. 'What are you doing here?'

'I came to see Ron and the Collin, and then I saw you gran. She told me to wait for you and that she'd be in the tea room.'

Neville nodded, and became significantly more solemn. 'I'm sorry about Ron and Hermione,' he said quietly. 'I went to see Ron earlier, but he didn't answer me. I'm used to that though,' he said and nodded toward his parents. 'I'm sure he'll get better soon,' he added hopefully.

'He already is,' Harry grinned. 'He's getting ready downstairs as we speak. I'm taking him home tonight.'

'That's great!' Neville nearly shouted. 'Let him know I said hello, and make sure he knows that everyone's here for him alright?' Neville said with a small smile as the pair walked out into the corridor. 'It probably doesn't make him feel any better, but at least he got one of those bloody Death Eaters. If it does help, let him know he's got my full support in what he did and I'll say it in front of the entire Wizengamot if I have to. We'll get the other one for taking Hermione away.'

Harry was not sure how to respond to Neville's last comments. What did he mean he would stand behind Ron in court? 'What do you mean by court Neville?' he asked quietly and looked around to ensure no one was listening.

'His trial of course. I'm sure the Minister will want it done immediately now that Ron's leaving. Oh, and tell him that I'll help him plan something extremely vile for that Skeeter woman. The nerve of that woman.'

Harry nodded dumbly at Neville as he said goodbye and headed back to collect Ron. Everything Neville had said swam through his head, and nearly all of it worried him greatly. The way Neville was speaking about helping Ron was very unlike him. Neville was not one to ask for a fight, and he nearly never stood up for himself. Being Gryffindor's heir did explain Neville's improved abilities with a wand, but not his new attitude. What exactly had the Headmaster told him?

Harry's thoughts were then led to the part about Ron being tried. How could the Minister possibly try him for defending Hermione? He had used the killing curse though, and he was underage on top of that. Harry shook his head as he walked up to where Ron was now standing, looking extremely disgruntled as a medi-witch fussed with his coat collar.

It was not before six o'clock that evening that Ron Weasley walked back into the entrance hall of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, where he was instantly smothered by the longest hug Harry had ever witnessed take place. When his mother finally let him go, he gasped for breath and took his first chance to get away by telling her that he needed to get to bed on the healers orders. Harry followed him up the stairs, explaining that he too needed the rest.

Harry decided not to tell Ron about what he had overheard at St. Mungos, figuring he would wait until more time had passed and Hermione's death could be dealt with. The boys had an unspoken agreement not to discuss Hermione for the time being and other than the few plans about Defense work, they stayed silent and did actually try their best to rest; they both knew they would need it.

The next day was New Year's Eve and the last day before the start of winter term. Everyone would be returning to their homes today, and several students would be returning to the castle for a private ceremony to be held in Hermione's honour. Her closest friends and family would meet by the lake on Hogwarts' grounds, where the Headmaster said a memorial would lie for Miss Granger.

Harry had not dreamed the night before and was extremely thankful, figuring if he had, it most likely would have been a nightmare in which he re-witnessed Hermione's death. He woke up early and went down to the kitchen where he was unsurprised to find Remus sitting at the table drinking from a bright blue cup and reading the Daily Prophet. This sparked something in Harry's mind and had him walk over to where Remus was seated.

'What did Rita Skeeter write about Ron?' he asked in a plain voice as he took a seat.

Remus looked up from his copy of the Prophet and sighed before getting to his feet and walking out of the kitchen. Harry waited patiently for several moments before the werewolf returned and with a heavy heart dropped an older copy of the Prophet in front of him. Harry looked down at the bolded headline and felt anger rise within him.

_Death Eaters Attack Muggleborns: Only 3 Survivors_

_  
Late last evening when most families had concluded their holiday festivities, a well-orchestrated Death Eater attack was ordered on eight homes throughout England. Shocking as it may be, the truly disturbing fact appears when one realises that each of the homes attacked housed a Muggleborn student form Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each student attacked found themselves defenseless in the sense that their Muggle parents could not help, leaving them as mere targets for the followers of the Dark Lord. At the end of the attacks, only three of the nine students survived, each of them now recuperating in St. Mungos in stable condition. Both Gryffindor brothers Collin and Dennis Creevey, and Ravenclaw's Zacharius Smith are clearly thanking the stars for their survival. Sadly, we must report that Stewart Ackerly and Travis Trenalee of Ravenclaw, Kevin Whitby and Owen Cauldwell of Hufflepuff, and Deidre Whethers of Gryffindor were lost in the attack. Most oddly, the sixth student to be lost was none other than long-time on and off girl friend to Harry Potter, Hermione Granger of Gryffindor. The sixth year witch was reportedly one of the cleverest of her age and certainly put up a good fight before being caught off guard and finally falling. While Aurors ascertained she was indeed deceased, they were attacked outside St. Mungos where a single Death Eater grabbed hold of Miss Granger's robes and used a Port key to escape with her. The purpose of taking the girl's body is still unknown and the Auror division has promised the parents that they will do all they can to find her for a proper burial.  
I have it on good authority that the late Miss Granger as well as the three survivors had all been a part of a secret society at Hogwarts known as Dumbledore's Army. Not only is it disturbing to hear that Albus Dumbledore is now using children to fight the Dark Lord, but it would appear that they have learned well. Excluding Miss Granger, the other three fought at what could be called an exceptional magical level. This society was taught by none other than Harry Potter himself, and when confronted, Albus Dumbledore fully admitted to giving his permission for the group's founding. While this reporter is thankful for the survival of the three Hogwarts students, she is less than pleased by the violent effects this D.A. has had on its other members. While I applaud the Headmaster for his efforts, I must scowl at the lack of forethought toward the resulting violence that was sure to ensue. Upon finding Miss Granger deceased in her home, Ronald Weasley, currently a sixth year Gryffindor, used the killing curse to eliminate one of the attackers. The Ministry fully agrees that as Miss Granger was already lost, this was indeed excessive force, and Mr. Weasley will be tried as an adult as soon as he emerges from St. Mungos. For more details, continue reading your daily subscription to the Daily Prophet.  
Rita Skeeter._

Harry sat stunned for a moment as he finished reading the article, his fingers gripping the edge of the table so firmly they began to hurt. He wanted to scream and cry and hex someone to oblivion, but he was not sure where to begin.

'I'm sorry Harry,' Remus said quietly making Harry focus on him now.

The look on Remus' aging face was one Harry had not seen before; a look of fear and apprehension that made Harry's heart sink further in guilt.

'It's not your fault,' Harry said with a sigh. 'You don't have to talk to me like I'll explode, because I won't,' he added.

Remus nodded and seemed to let out a pent up breath quietly, furthering Harry's guilt and making him sort of chuckle. When Remus heard the odd laugh, he looked up at the raven-haired boy as though he had possibly gone mad.

'You know we're letting him win don't you?' Harry finally said as his laughter died away. 'All Voldemort wants is for us to drop our defenses and to lose hope. I'm truly sorry that Hermione's gone and there's no one who can fight that, but at the time I refuse to mourn those who have not yet been lost. We can still save Ron and all the others being affected by these attacks.'

'You're absolutely right, and the Order is meeting tonight to discuss these things,' Remus explained seriously, but now with a small smile on his lips.

'So I'll assume that since we're going to Hermione's memorial service today that the Order has found her?' Harry asked in a slightly more strained voice than was usual. He was certain there had been an inkling of hope in the question.

Remus gave Harry a dark look before shaking his head and looking back down at the table top.

'I'm sorry Harry, but there has been absolutely no sign of her anywhere. I have no idea what the Death Eaters could possibly have needed, but even our contacts in Knocturn Alley have heard nothing. Now with Ron's trial coming closer, the Order feels that it should take priority.'

Harry took another deep breath to steady himself and to control his anger before nodding.

'Absolutely,' he said. 'We have to help Ron first,' he added and then paused as he thought of something. 'Has Snape heard nothing of Hermione's whereabouts?'

Lupin looked down again and Harry noticed the odd look of pity on his face. For a moment he did not understand, but the realization soon hit him and he gasped.

'No! The Death Eater Ron killed?'

'No,' Remus interrupted quickly before he could go on. 'That was Dolohov,' he nearly spat the name. 'While I don't condone Ron's actions, I fully understand why he did what he did, and I can't say that I'll lose any sleep over Dolohov's death.'

Harry silently agreed with this, remembering how terrible Dolohov had truly been. 'Then what of Snape?' he asked, certain that the Potions Professor would have heard something of the Dark Lord's plans.

'He's been missing since the night of the attack. Dumbledore's quite worried actually. He fears that Voldemort may have realised he was spying for the Order.'

Before anything else could be discussed, Ron, Ginny and their mother entered the kitchen, putting a stop to all this discussion. Ron looked far worse today then he had the night before, and Harry understood why the instant he saw the old Prophet under Mrs. Weasley's arm. Now Ron knew what was to come, and Harry knew all too well how it felt to wait for judgement.

At half passed three in the afternoon, Harry, Ron and Marc silently led the group of friends and family up the Hogsmeade road and through the gates to Hogwarts, not speaking as they walked through the snow. Harry noted the freshly fallen snow and the way it glistened serenely under the afternoon sun, making him want to scream in anger at how unfair it was for Hermione to be gone. The days after a fresh snowfall had always been her favorite, and now for as long as he lived he was certain he would never enjoy another winter's day.

Upon arriving at the lake's side, Harry and the others joined the rather large group of students and other witches and wizards who wished to be there. Everyone made a half circle around a beautiful statue next to the water. The slate grey stone stood a proud three feet tall and depicted a house elf carrying a stack of textbooks in one arm and firmly gripping a wand in its other hand.

Harry heard Ginny let out a small giggle through her tears when she saw the statue.

'It's exactly what she would have wanted,' she said and knelt down in the grass as Dumbledore made to stand next  
to the statue.

Harry took a step forward and was now able to see all the faces of those who had shown up clearly. In the very front, and by far the most shaken were the Grangers. Harry had never seen anyone look so miserable, and he felt tears begin to well up in his eyes just looking at Hermione's mother. Not only had she lost her only child, but she now had to live with the guilt of knowing that Hermione died to protect her.

Next to them he spotted Tonks and Kingsley, both of them looking extremely forlorn and depressed. Both Neville, and Luna had shown up with their guardians and Harry smiled inwardly when he saw that Roger Davies had come as well. Perhaps he truly was an alright bloke. Neville had obviously shed tears over the death of his friend and for the first time in his Hogwarts' career, Harry saw Luna Lovegood genuinely looking at something. She was not dreamy-eyed and distanced, but right there alongside everyone else who had arrived to mourn. He watched as she placed a hand on Neville's shoulder and then leaned into him to lay her head there as well.

Every member of the Hogwarts staff, save for one, had appeared to pay their respects, and Harry found a new respect for Professor Trelawney who had shown up despite Hermione's obvious dislike of her subject. The only missing Professor was Snape. Professor's Black and Dursley had both turned out, neither of them looking their regular stern selves. It was clear to Harry that he was seeing their genuine grief for the first time in his life. This angered Harry as he looked at Black's mournful face; she was a Death Eater and had no right to be standing here. Harry's thoughts were then pulled back to the tiny statue as the Headmaster began to speak.

'We have all gathered here today, to pay respect to and honour a dear member of the light. Hermione Granger was truly the brightest witch to have ever passed through Hogwarts' doors and I am proud to say the cleverest girl I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.'

He paused for a moment as several people had already begun to cry, small sniffles and sobs filling the air.

'Though there are many things about Miss Granger that astound those who know her, I must select one aspect of her personality that I never saw waiver once, and that I must pay tribute to. Not once during her time at Hogwarts did she refuse a student the chance to prove themselves. She treated every student and Professor in the school alike, with respect and a right to show who they were. While some may have lost her respect along the way, I never once saw her turn her nose upward to anyone without a foundation; a trait that I must admit even I cannot claim to possess. Her cool sense of control, sharp mind, and enormous heart make Miss Granger one of the witches I admire most. As long as Hogwarts stands she will be forever missed and never forgotten.'

As soon as Dumbledore finished, he stepped away and Harry could see his sparkling blue eyes shimmer all the more as tears began to form. Mrs. Granger was openly sobbing into her husband's chest as the next speaker walked up to the statue. Everyone listened as Neville began to speak.

'I've never been much good at magic. That's pretty well known here at Hogwarts,' he gave a small chuckle and several others smiled at his attempt to lighten the heavy mood. 'My memory has never been my strongest ally, often leaving me without supplies or answers, and sometimes even leaving stuck without a place to sleep.' Again several people smiled at him. 'People often laughed at me for this, but Hermione never did. She always treated me as an equal, no matter how badly I destroyed a Potion, or messed up a hex, and for that I can never truly tell her how grateful I am. All I can do now is say how much I will miss her, and make a promise. For as long as I live, I will never forget the kindness shown to me by my friend Hermione Granger, and I will make certain that no one else does.'

As Neville stepped back to stand next to Luna, Harry noticed Professor McGonagall dabbing her cheeks with a tissue and breathing heavier than was usual. Ginny went up next, however she barely got out her first sentence before she broke down and Mrs. Weasley pulled her back into the crowd. Harry decided that it was now his turn, so he stepped forward and placed a hand on the top of the house elf's head, shivering as he felt the cold of the stone travel through him.

'I'm not really sure what to say,' Harry started finally, saying exactly what he was thinking. 'I don't know that there are words to describe how I feel. Nothing I say could ever be enough to say goodbye to one of my best friends in the world. I'm not really sure what to do without her now. Hermione, Ron and I are the trio, so what happens now? The duo certainly will never be the same, and as far as I can tell, I don't want it to be. For now I think there is only one thing that I know. Someone took Hermione away from us, and that was a big mistake. I'll miss you Hermione,' he said and then stepped back to stand with Ron and Marc.

Several people followed him with their eyes and simply stared at him with sadness until the next speaker went up. Harry could feel their eyes on him and began feeling angry with their lack of respect; they were here for Hermione, not him. Harry looked over at Ron while Professor McGonagall said a few words, and he was sorry to see the hardened expression on the redhead's face. It was difficult to tell how Ron was feeling by the expression on his features, but the emotions of guilt and hurt seemed to flow from him nonetheless.

'I would have been honoured to have Miss Granger in Ravenclaw,' Professor Flitwick ended sadly from where he stood level with the memorial statue.

Finally the moment Harry had been waiting for arrived, and the last speaker made his way up to the statue, shoulders slightly slumped and head hanging low. As Harry looked around to the others gathered, he realised that the majority of them were now holding their breath, each of them unsure of how the youngest Weasley boy would react.

Ron surprised everyone, Harry included, by looking up and after a moment's silent gaze, and smiling. It was the first smile any of them had seen on his face since the attack.

'Hermione was the best part of me,' he started quietly. 'In fact she is still and will continue to be the best part of me forever. For the past six years she has always been there for me, and despite my constant arguing, she always had my best interest at heart. It took me a long time to realise it, but for the past two and half years there has not been a day that I have not wondered what she would think of what I was doing. It may have been terribly annoying for onlookers, but it was always interesting to see who would come out on top after one of our spats. She was of course always right, but she always gave me the chance to try and prove her wrong,' he said with the smallest of smiles.

He paused here for a moment in thought, and Harry noticed that Mrs. Granger had silenced her sobs and was now watching Ron with great interest. Mr. Granger was staring at him with equal curiosity.

'There have been days that I used to wish could be erased, simply to eliminate a silly argument or comment that did nothing but harm us, but now there is no amount of money in this world that could make me give up a single moment with her. They always say that you don't know what you've got until it's gone, but they're wrong. I was lucky because I knew exactly what I had, and I'll never forget it. Hermione always told me not to procrastinate; simply get what you have to do over with, and then you've got all the time in the world to enjoy yourself.'

Ron paused again, and a look of the deepest sadness filled his eyes before he continued.

'I didn't listen to her. I waited and I waited, even though I knew I had to do it. I waited until the last moment and now it's too late. As usual Hermione, you were right, but this time you cheated. I don't get to argue back, ' he said, looking down at the statue fondly before stepping away.

Ron did not however stop next to Harry and Marc. He simply continued to walk toward the school, every person watching him as he left. Mrs. Weasley was in tears as she made to go after him and was held back by her husband who told her to let him be.

A few minutes later, Harry and the other students from the ceremony walked quietly up the grounds along side the professors. Dumbledore had allowed the early return of the few students as they were already here, and there was little point in returning home, only to travel back in the morning.

The Gryffindors walked up to their common room, Luna following close behind. This would be her first time in the gold and scarlet room, yet her features showed little interest. The group gathered around the fire grate and discussed several things without enthusiasm while Harry went up to the dorms to find his best friend.

Ron's four-poster had its hangings shut tightly and Harry knew that he wished to be alone. Similarly to the last time Ron had wanted privacy, Harry tore open the hangings ready to find an empty bed with a note. He was surprised to find the redhead lying calmly on his crimson duvet with his lids closed.'

'Are you coming down for dinner?' he asked tentatively.

'What do you think?' came Ron's response, making Harry frown.

'Fine then,' he responded airily. 'I guess Neville can catch you up on the details of the Dueling club.'

He did not have to wait a second before Ron's lids flipped open and he sat up.

'Alright, let's go,' he said in a determined voice as he grabbed his wand form the night stand beside him.

After nearly two hours of discussing the newest addition to Hogwarts' clubs, all six friends had whole-heartedly agreed to help in any way they could to ensure the best Defense was taught. They continued to discuss the plans they wished to share with the Headmaster as they made their ways down to the Great Hall, where Dumbledore explained would be a dinner for the few residents in the school.

The students arrived to find the regular Christmas table sitting in the middle of the hall, already lined by the professors who awaited them. The chatter form the adults was extremely subdued and Harry found that even Professor Flitwick was keeping from his usual conversations with McGonagall.

The students all took their seats and the food immediately appeared. Barely a moment had gone by though before Harry accosted the Headmaster with the plans they had all been discussing. Dumbledore gave a small smile at the determination his students were showing but had to point out that, until Professor Snape returned, it would be difficult to carry out their plans.

'Will Potions be cancelled until he returns?' Marc asked then, wondering if any of the other Professors were as skilled in art of Potions.

'I'm afraid not Mr. Evans,' he replied. 'I have already found a suitable replacement for the time being. But do not worry; I am certain our Professor Snape will return to us shortly.' He smiled at the small laughs this got from the students.

'I am wondering however,' the old wizard continued, 'if perhaps until his return, you would all be comfortable with me in his place for the Dueling Club. I may not be as agile as Severus, but I do believe I could teach you all a thing or two.' The looks on all of the students' faces lit up as they heard this and each of them nodded their heads fervently.

'Of course Professor,' Ginny said with a half grin. 'That would be wonderful.'

The rest of the evening went by slowly, the entire table speaking of this and that until finally Dumbledore had crackers appear on the table for everyone to pull. It was not a celebration like Hogwarts was used to, but Harry was grateful for the Headmaster's efforts.

Finally around ten o'clock they students said goodnight and made their ways back up to the Gryffindor common room. With the Headmaster's permission, Luna would be sleeping in Ginny's dormitory for the evening. The girls said goodnight before leaving the boys to climb their staircase and enter their dormitory. Once there, they all changed quickly and got into bed, none of them having much to say at this point.

Another two hours passed by with Harry lying awake in his bed, unable to fall asleep. He had been running through all the memories he could think of pertaining to Hermione when a quiet beep emitted from his clock, alerting him to the change of hour and day. Harry rolled over and covered his head with his pillow, thinking sarcastically of what a wonderful start to the new year this truly was.

The next day passed by quickly, with all of the returning students arriving shortly after lunch. Harry and the others tried their best to stick together and to avoid as many students as was possible, as hundreds of them approached to give their condolences. Dennis and Collin had returned, to Harry's relief, and both boys along with Zacharius Smith elected to join Luna and the group of Gryffindors in avoiding everyone.

The group decided to eat in the kitchens that evening, so to avoid any announcements the Headmaster would give, but they had not missed the change of decoration in the Great Hall. Where all of the House banners usually hung, were now black banners bearing the Hogwarts crest, a tribute to the fallen students.

Soon enough curfew had passed, and the students parted ways to get into bed and hope for a better day come morning. Harry wanted to simply get through his lessons so he could continue planning the Dueling Club and preparing with the professors for the first meeting. If Dumbledore had been true to his word as Harry expected, then the entire school would now know of the club's return.

Harry fell asleep quickly that night, and he dreamed. He dreamed terrible things that no sixteen-year-old should ever dream, yet to him this was commonplace. One set of eyes watched him as he writhed in his sleep, certain of the horrors that riddled his mind and invaded his peace. The watching bird sat perched on the foot of his bed and stared in concern as Harry whimpered quietly to himself, and it knew that his old nightmares had returned. One word told it that he was not having a prophetic dream, nor was it a dream of Hermione, or even his parents. It took only one name to tell that Harry Potter had just lost his Godfather again.

Morning came far too quickly, the narrow beams of sunlight unable to penetrate the thick hangings around the four-posters, effectively keeping Harry in the dark for as long as they wished. It was Neville who finally shook him awake, telling him that Potions was to begin in ten minutes and that they were sure to be late.

Harry groaned as he swung himself out of bed and pulled on a clean pair of robes. Within minutes he and Neville were racing down the chilling dungeon corridors with their cauldrons, in hopes of not losing house points on their first day with Snape's replacement.

'At least there's no way this professor could be worse than Snape,' Neville said between pants as they approached the classroom door.

Harry gave a small smile as he agreed before opening the door and rushing into the already filled classroom. He and his partner only made it halfway to their seats before a woman at the front of the room turned around and made Harry stop dead in his tracks. Her graying black hair was tightly braided and pulled into a bun on the top of her head, and her black eyes stared out coldly from her severe expression.

'I suggest you take your seat Mister Potter, and if you intend to be late again, don't bother coming at all,' she said scathingly.

Harry glared back coldly before nodding his head slightly and moving to take his seat. She continued to stare at him expectantly but he said nothing.

'Is that clear Mister Potter?' she asked then, and he had no choice but to answer.

'Yes, Professor Sharpbane.'


	27. The Witness Part I

**Chapter 27: The Witness (Part I) **

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The end of lesson bell had rung, and now Harry sat alone at his station with increasingly thinned nerves, waiting to find out what horrible reason Professor Sharpbane could have asked him behind for. Looking around the old dungeon classroom, Harry realised how much like the past it felt, especially with the most feared Potions Mistress of Hogwarts not ten feet away from him.

Having finished storing the class' daily samples for grading, Professor Sharpbane turned around sharply and glared hard at one of her most obviously despised pupils. Harry glared right back at her and found himself surprised by what he saw. She surveyed him coldly, and even slightly grudgingly, but there was no longer the hint of aggression and strong distaste that had once lingered on her features. Now in its place was a look of critical judgment and possibly even understanding.

'How have you been Portus?' her ever resilient voice finally filled the air, making Harry start and blink several times.

Of all the things he had expected to come from her mouth, the words how have you been were certainly not among them. Harry eyed the older woman with intense skepticism and a continued dislike as he tried to reason her actions. What exactly was she playing at?

'I've been better,' his response finally entered the air dryly.

Studying her familiar stony features, Harry was unsurprised that other than her graying cobalt hair and few lines around her eyes and mouth, Morganna Sharpbane had been virtually untouched by the effects of time; Something he was certain reflected her ability to brew a decent, and not to mention illegal draft. Her eyes continued to be the darkest pools of strength and duress Harry had ever seen, only adding to the mismatched question and gaze.

The Potions Mistress continued to watch him intently for a moment, her harsh and searching eyes pouring into his own emerald, and finally when Harry felt a flickering memory of Gideon Prewett clapping him on the back after winning the Quidditch match, he blinked hard before whipping out his wand and shouting 'Protego!'

The connection was instantly broken and Harry glared fiercely from his place two feet in front of his Professor, his chest now rising and falling rapidly as he tried to maintain control of his emotions.

'How dare you?' he managed to grind out between deep breaths, and nearly shot out his wand once more when she smiled.

'I see you've been practicing,' she now continued to speak as though she had not just tried to infiltrate Harry's private thoughts and memories. 'Severus told me that you were weak, and I agreed, but now there's something there.'

'What are you talking about?' Harry asked then, still trying to lower his anger so that she could not succeed in piercing his mind again.

'Your mind of course,' her severe expression fell back into place. 'I can see why few people defend your intelligence,' she added casually. 'However, I am intrigued by the feelings in your mind.'

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly with the intention of slowly calming down so that he might learn something of interest and not once again find himself calling his Professor some foul creature.

'The first rule of the Occlumens is to clear your mind. It has always been that way, and yet you rarely do this.'

'I always do it,' Harry retorted hotly, failing miserably at controlled breathing.

'That's right. What I meant is that you rarely succeed,' she corrected her last statement, and waved a hand in apology.

'And yet I just closed you out of my mind in seconds,' Harry replied, trying to stand a bit taller as he confronted the formidable woman. 'Odd wouldn't you say?'

'This is exactly the point I am trying to make Mister Potter. That hat certainly knew which house not to place you in,' she insulted him again. 'I just can't see why you're different,' she spoke more quietly now, her voice taking on a pensive tone as she once again tried to stare him down.

'Join the club,' Harry mumbled irritably, and found that for a brief moment she got into his head again, only to be trounced out as his anger flared up.

As he lowered his shield charm and glared furiously at her once more, Harry found his Professor's eyes alight with a curiosity that he had never seen. There was almost delight in the look she now shared  
with him, making him extremely unnerved as she watched him.

'How would you feel about continuing your Occlumency lessons Mister Potter?' she asked then, and Harry could actually feel as his jaw lowered itself with incredulity.

'You're kidding right?' he said mirthlessly, and readied himself for her next attempt.

'Have I ever shown a propensity for humour Mister Potter?' she said gravely before turning back toward her desk and collecting several parchments and a quill. 'If you choose to explore this oddity, I will be more than accommodating on Tuesday and Thursday nights. If you do not, well, accommodating is not a word I use often.'

This being said, the dark-haired woman gave the slightest of nods before entering her office and leaving Harry alone and disturbed in the still classroom.

The next two days went by rapidly, every student working hard to keep busy in order not to think of the losses that were so heavily affecting the school. Dumbledore had indeed announced the reformation of the dueling club, and Harry was pleased to see that, days later, the students' main chatter continued to consist of that very topic.

Harry had explained to Ron what he could about Professor Sharpbane, telling him of the way he had already offended her in the past, but deciding to keep her interest in his training to himself for now. Ron had been sympathetic toward him, but refused to believe that anyone could be worse than Snape or Black.

Harry had attended his first meeting with Professor Sharpbane, unsure of how she would try to train him differently and finding almost no change whatsoever. She continued to enter his mind frequently and insulted him just as often between sessions. He really was not sure why he agreed to the training at all.

Ron's comment about the next Quidditch practice was halted a moment later as Dumbledore stood at the head table and tapped his goblet lightly. The action was really quite pointless, as it made very little noise, and the Headmaster rising generally had the room fall into silence anyhow. The old wizard cleared his throat quietly as the many expectant faces in the hall watched him with eagerness.

'As I have informed you all, the dueling club will be reforming, and any students in third year and up will be permitted to join.' He smiled as several small groans of disappointment arose from the younger school members. 'This evening shall be the first meeting in which the rules, regulations, and general happenings will be discussed. Once dinner has concluded, I suggest that all students interested in becoming members return to their dormitories and change into comfortable robes, before returning and meeting right here.'

Several students commented quickly in hushed and excited whispers before hushing to allow the Headmaster's continuation.

'The club shall be led by three of our Professors, in an attempt to offer to our students the widest and most useful variety of spell work available. Professors Flitwick and Lupin shall be taking charge of the first several meetings after today, and I myself shall head the club to help in any way that I may for the time being.'

Another bit of noise rose from the hall, however this time it was in the form of scoffs and snickers from the Slytherin table, expressing their less than enthusiastic want to join a group led by the Headmaster. Harry nearly smiled when he saw the edges of Dumbledore's mouth twitch upward slightly.

'While I am happy to be a part of this experience, I am afraid that I shall only be a stand in, until the group's regular Head returns to us, at which time Professor Snape will inform you all of any changes he wishes to make.'

Now Harry gave a small laugh at the even spread of shocked faces around the room; many of the students who had felt excited moments ago, were now showing signs of trepidation at working under the Potions Master. The Slytherins also seemed to be torn. Should they join the ridiculous club led by Muggle-loving Headmaster and bear the company of the other houses, or keep away and later risk the wrath of their Head of House.

Dumbledore gave them a few more instructions before reseating himself and allowing the meal to restart itself. It was not long before the students excitement was once again abound, many of them discussing spells they had researched and hoped to submit as a suggestion to the professors. Harry was beginning to feel like he would be attending a D.A. meeting. Just as the other students had recovered from their surprise, the Slytherins were now back to their snide selves, throwing comments around about how useless it would be to attend the silly gathering.

'Clearly they need the help,' Pansy was saying as she waved a hand dismissively in the air. 'I've learned all I need without some wretched club. Perhaps what the others need are remedial lessons.'

Ron snorted from where he got up next to Marc, and Neville simply shook his head as they made to leave. Harry thought he heard Ginny throw a comment at Pansy, and it was not until he saw the affronted look on the Slytherin's face that he turned red and hoped Mrs. Weasley never heard her daughter repeat something like that.

Soon enough, the Gryffindor group returned to the Great Hall in their more casual robes, comfortable clothing underneath, and they entered to join the rest of the excitable youth collected at the head of the room. The increasing group of students was gathered around the familiar dueling platform from Harry's second year, bringing back memories of his duel with Malfoy, and causing him to look around for his pale-haired nemesis. He found himself actually being disappointed when he could not find him, having hoped greatly for another shot at hexing the ferret.

In his time away, and now with the recent events in his life, Harry had thought very little of the blond boy, and now he wondered just what he had been doing to keep such a low profile. It was not often that a day passed without at least one snide remark or misfired hex from the git, and as of the past several weeks Harry could not remember even seeing him.

Harry was trying his best to remember if Malfoy had been in Potions the day before, when he was tapped on the shoulder and turned to find Cho Chang and Terry Boot standing in front of him. A suddenly awkward sensation flooded his form as he tried his best to smile at Cho, hoping she had not come to curse him early, or perhaps tell him off for avoiding her so effectively since his return from the past. He was further made to feel awkward when she stepped forward quickly and gave him a tight hug.

'How are you Harry?' she asked quietly, and Harry was stunned by the calmness to her voice.

'I'm alright,' he answered back just as quietly, hoping not to have anyone notice their small conversation and start bombarding him with questions.

'Good,' she answered with a small smile. 'I was worried when I didn't see much of you before the holidays but I decided you were probably busy getting used to being home.'

Harry watched Cho with wonder, hardly able to believe how understanding she was; this was not the same girl he had dated the year before. That girl cried every time they met, and took offense to nearly every word that came out of his mouth.

'Alright, well if you want to talk about anything ever, you know where to find me,' she said with another small smile, and Harry was thankful that she had not brought up Hermione's name. 'I do think we're overdue for another breakfast or lunch.'

Harry returned her smile and nodded at Terry who did the same, before the pair walked off together to get a better look at the platform with some of the other members of Ravenclaw. Harry stood silently for a moment, pondering what had just occurred. Had Cho just secretly asked him out on another date, or was she merely being a friend? Ron had apparently thought this over as well and come up with the first option as he clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and raised his eyebrows a bit.

'Good luck mate,' he sighed before turning toward the platform as the professors entered the hall.

Harry followed him and found that Ginny was now watching him oddly from where she stood next to Neville, Marc and Katie. She also kept throwing skeptic glances in Cho's direction, however now they no longer seemed as hostile as before.

'Thank you all for arriving so promptly,' Dumbledore started his introduction as soon as all three professors had approached the midnight coloured platform. 'I am happy to see that most of our third years and up have decided to give it a go.'

Harry looked around the large crowd of students and realised that the Headmaster had decided not to mention the obvious lack of Slytherins in the hall. Not a single green and silver tie showed anywhere in the crowd. Harry had assumed as much, and figured that as soon as Snape returned, so would spending time with his house in enclosed spaces.

'We shall start today by separating you all into groups for training. Perhaps we shall do it by year and house. This way there will not be too large a number per group.'

The students began to shuffle around the room, breaking off into smaller groups and chatting amicably with their roommates when Harry decided to speak up.

'I don't think this is the best way sir.'

Everyone stopped to listen as Harry Potter told the Headmaster he was wrong in doing something. Harry could feel red creeping up his neck and into his cheeks as he continued, hoping he would not land himself in detention for undermining the Headmaster's instructions in front of everyone. Had Snape been there, he knew he would have.

'If we confine ourselves to year, we're really being limited. For example, I know for certain that Collin could duel very well with Katie Bell and they've two years between them.'

'And I'm sure I'm not comfortable dueling with Katie,' a seventh year boy said, blushing as he admitted his novice.

'Are you suggesting we duel by house then Mister Potter?' Professor Flitwick's squeak of a voice filled the hall, and Harry could see a glint of excitement in his eyes at the prospect of a new Hogwarts house competition.

All the other students apparently thought of this as well, as excited whispers and mumbles rushed around the room. Harry thought about it for a moment, but decided that he did not very much like that idea either.

'Actually sir, I think a competition is a great idea. Four teams, four captains and a lot of practice,' he said, and was met with a round of cheers and applause from the others.

'Are you volunteering to be a captain Mister Potter?' Professor Lupin asked with a smile, certain that Harry could more than easily hold his own on a team.

'I'd be more than willing sir, but not for Gryffindor.'

Gasps of surprise filled the room as everyone turned to look at the Boy-who-lived. Hard as he tried, Harry could not keep the red off his cheeks as they all gawked at him curiously. Taking another breath, he noticed the knowing smile on Dumbledore's face and chose to elaborate.

'I think we've already got enough house competitions, and I personally would like to work with some of the other students. I know for a fact that Ernie and Justin can throw a pretty good hex and I wouldn't mind having them on my side. I've already dueled with most of my mates, and I think change would do a great deal of difference. Besides, Ron already knows how I duel, so it will be much harder for me to work against him.'

Several people nodded their agreement and soon everyone was chattering about the idea. The professors were also discussing the prospect of four mixed teams when another suggestion was made.

'I'm with Potter, but I think it would be useful to have everyone pair off today and duel once to see what level they are at. Then the Professors can determine how to equally split the teams so that each has a fair number of each skill level. There's no point in making the teams with different levels of skill or we learn nothing,' came a hushed but confident voice Harry had never before heard.

Every head turned to see where the comment was coming from and Harry was surprised to see Blaise Zabini standing nearest the professors. He had not seen the Slytherin when he first looked around, and found it odd that he would be here all alone. All the other students were now staring at him skeptically, unsure of whether or not to agree with the idea of a Slytherin.

'Besides, if we go by house it would appear that I am my own team.' The dark-haired boy said with a small smirk.

Harry laughed at this, and soon everyone joined in, leaving the awkward feeling behind for the moment. The Headmaster smiled appreciatively at Harry for doing this before agreeing with the Slytherin boy's comment and beginning to pair students off.

As expected, most students paired off with their best friends, often the person with whom they regularly worked in lessons, sadly undermining the whole point Harry had just tried to make. Marc seemed to notice this as well and was the first to walk over to Hannah Abbot and ask her to be his partner. This time when Harry looked over at Ginny, her glare was not devoid of hostility.

Harry watched as everyone paired off rather quickly, and out of the corner of his eye he could see that Cho Chang had already turned two others away as she made her way through the crowd toward him. He could feel his heart rate quickening as he panicked in an attempt to find a way out of dueling with her. They were just now beginning to be friends again and he truly did not want to do anything to set her off.

Neville and Ron had paired up quickly, ensuring that Ron would not be with his girlfriend. Since Christmas holidays the pair had rarely been seen together, a fact that was obviously bothering the dark-skinned girl. Dean and Seamus had also paired off along with Parvati and Lavender. Harry did a quick scan for Collin but found that he had taken on his Prefect counterpart and that his brother was working with a Ravenclaw girl.

'Harry,' came Cho's voice an instant later, making him turn around swiftly and beam at her. 'Would you like to duel with me? It's a good thing you made those suggestions or we would not have been allowed,' she smiled happily at him.

'Uhh,' he started to nod his head in consent but was shortly cut off by that quietly poised voice.  
'Sorry Chang, but Potter's already got a date. I'm afraid I nabbed him a few minutes ago,' Blaise said coolly with a snide grin. 'Maybe you can have him next meeting. That's if he survives of course.'

'Oh,' Cho said briskly, glowering at Blaise with contempt that Harry did not know she could show. 'Well, I guess I'll work with you next meeting then Harry,' she said politely to him before glaring at the dark-haired Slytherin once more and stalking off to steal Terry boot away from his partner.

Harry waited until she was far enough away to let out a pent up breath and relax slightly. Then he looked up at Blaise and realised with an inward laugh that he had just been relieved to trade in his ex-girlfriend for a Slytherin who could not wait to hex him into the ground.

'Thanks,' Harry said quickly and quietly, hoping that no one but his partner would hear it. 'I didn't really want-'

'Let's just get on with this,' Blaise said in an annoyed voice and pulled out his wand. 'The sooner we determine our skill level, the quicker we can be placed and get back to our common rooms.'

Harry nodded and followed the boy over to the queue where the others had already begun waiting their turns. He looked over at Blaise and could not help but wonder why the boy was present. He had come all alone, without the usual entourage of Slytherins to have his back in a typical insult game between houses. Harry rarely saw the boy outside of the classroom, and only saw him with Malfoy during lessons and during meals. Other than Crabbe and Goyle, Zabini would have been next on his assumptions list for Malfoy's friends.

Harry had never felt the need to wonder about the boy before, but now that he had been involuntarily partnered with him, he was curious as to why the Slytherin would choose him. He had never once in six years spoken to him, and until today had never even heard his voice. He once or twice saw him questioned during class hours, but his responses had never been of much interest to Harry, and the hushed tone to his voice managed the rest. More to the point, it was usually Malfoy of Parkinson who spoke for everyone when the time came.

Now, the strong featured youth stood firmly next to Harry, looking calculatingly over the crowd of students from his curtained brown eyes. The dark honey colour had a certain gleam to them, reminding Harry strongly of his old friend Gwendolyn, or more accurately, the late Mrs. Snape. Blaise swept a strand of his dark hair from his eyes and as it caught the light, Harry noticed for the first time that it was in fact brown and not black like he originally thought. The Slytherin noticed at this point that Harry was looking at him and gave a scowl.

'Did you want a picture Potter? You realise this isn't really a date,' he said derisively, before crossing his arms and smirking again.

Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy but said nothing; as of yet, he had not done anything to him and Harry was truly interested to see why the boy had come to the meeting. Scaring him off would not help. Harry looked up to the platform now, just in time to see Collin throw a decent Jelly-leg jinx at Ginny, only to have it blocked and than narrowly miss getting hit by the Petrificus Totalus. A few more hexes and it was Collin who came out on top.

Next up, Harry watched Ron get narrowly beaten by Neville, though the way the blond boy threw his curses and placed his shields seemed almost nonchalant, making Harry further ponder what he was hiding. Next up were Luna and Zacharius Smith. Harry knew that Zacharius was still recovering from his attack but could not help but hope that Luna won. His hopes were realised when she hastily disarmed him after flipping him upside down. Several other groups went up and Harry and Blaise continued to watch each pair in silence until they were next.

Finally the pair mounted the platform and everyone gathered slightly closer to watch; even the professors seemed interested to watch the oddly matched youths. Harry gripped his wand tightly in case Zabini dueled anything like Malfoy did, and kept his eyes locked on the bronze-skinned boy while he bowed. The instant they lifted their gaze, Harry prepared to shield but found it unnecessary as Blaise had not sent a hex his way. It appeared they both had the same idea.

The two watched each other for a while before Harry finally made the first move, sending a 'Furnunculus,' whirring across the platform where Blaise easily shielded it with 'Protego,' and retaliated with a well aimed Confundus charm. Harry easily blocked it before trying a simple 'Expelliarmus,' and finding that the simplicity was there for Blaise as well, before narrowly dodging his binding charm. Harry decided to liven the stage a bit and cast 'Flagrate!' filling the air with flames and causing several students to shriek in surprise.

Zabini's eyes had widened in surprise for a mere moment before he cast the Flame-freezing charm and then banished the shattered ice pieces toward his opponent. Harry lithely avoided the large rigid shards and tried the once effective 'Rictusempra'. Blaise tried to roll out of the way but was caught in the right shoulder and flipped several times across the platform before landing hard with a thud where he began laughing uncontrollably. Not a second later he had cast the finite incantatem and protego against Harry's expelliarmus, and sent a hover charm at the unsuspecting Gryffindor. Harry prepared to send another hex from his place in the air but stopped when Professors Dumbledore, Lupin and Flitwick began to applaud.

'Very well done,' the Headmaster said. 'That will be all for today. We shall consider what we've seen this evening and in two nights time we shall meet here once again and form the new teams. Have a wonderful evening,' he concluded.

The students began to filter from the Great Hall, leaving Harry standing at one end of the platform breathing heavily after he ended the hover charm, and Blaise heaving with the same difficulty from his end. Blaise jumped down to the floor and started to make his way off toward the dungeons when Harry decided to call something out.

'Good duel,' he called loudly and waited for the boy to return the comment.

Blaise did not return the comment or anything else at all. He simply turned to face Harry for a moment with narrowed eyes before shaking his head in disapproval and exiting the hall.

Harry lay on his bed that evening, contemplating all that had occurred in the past few days. It struck him that he did this quite often as of late, and every time he thought back it rarely did any good. First of all, he thought of the most recent developments: Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. Where was Malfoy, and why was Zabini acting civil?

Harry had been thoroughly surprised to find the honey-eyed boy could duel so adequately, managing to fend him off for the entire time. Harry had never yet lost a duel and hoped that perhaps he would get the chance to prove his worth come next meeting. As for Malfoy, if the self-indulgent blond was not in class the next morning, he would be sure to ask the Headmaster about his whereabouts.

Pushing these thoughts to the background of his mind, Harry pulled up the straggling thoughts about his ex-girlfriend, who intentionally or not, made herself quite available in the past little while. What exactly did she expect of him, and why did she expect anything now? She had already made it clear that she understood he was in mourning and that they did not even make a good match, so why on earth was she still insisting on harassing him?

Harry thought for another moment about all of their recent meals and of their good-natured Quidditch match months ago. Overall, he had been having some rather decent times with her, even if they were strictly platonic meetings. Perhaps he could give the girl another shot at his friendship, but only friendship; nothing more.

The thoughts of girlfriends brought Harry to think of Fleur and how she had been acting lately as well. Nothing had been out of the ordinary, and as far as Harry could tell, she was acting as though they were simply close friends, talking to him in the halls between lessons and telling him how Bill was getting on and such. Unless they had been told he had dated the girl, Harry was quite certain that any passers by would be unable to detect any hint of a past relationship between the two.

Harry frowned as he realised this, and wondered how little he had actually meant to the part-Veela. Had he simply been used to get back at Bill, or was he just someone to keep her occupied until she could get the chance to claim her old beau once more? Deciding not to dwell on thoughts of his ex-girlfriends, Harry now turned his mind to another girl recently thrust into his life.

Luna Lovegood was one of the stranger people in his world and though she had her oddball ways, it was slightly endearing these days. While other girls either fancied him or hated others for fancying him, Luna was the only girl he could spend time with and not even consider the possibility of a romantic involvement from either party. It was truly refreshing, albeit dry in the way of logical conversation. He knew that Luna would never fill the role of personal advisor, but sadly enough he knew he was hoping she might help to fill the void left by Hermione.

Quickly deciding that he did not have the energy to dwell on thoughts of Hermione's missing body or of the circumstances under which it was stolen, Harry forced his mind to continue on the track set forth pertaining to Luna.

The small blonde girl had been rather impressive during her dueling match with the well-skilled Zacharius Smith, helping to convince Harry that his friend really was the latest discovered heir. Of all the students Harry could have chosen from, Luna would not have even made the list for Ravenclaw's heir, making him feel slightly foolish. Following this idea, Harry realised that had he made a list for potential heirs of Slytherin and Gryffindor he would have been completely wrong as well; suddenly his feelings of confidence dropped as he tried to understand the complexities of bloodlines.

Harry held a hand to his scar, feeling a soft beating below his skin as the red mark throbbed quietly on his forehead. The lightning shaped window to Voldemort had erupted in pain the evening before, telling him for the first time in months that Riddle had been thoroughly displeased. Harry welcomed the pain, knowing that the Dark Lord's frustrations could only have come from learning of the Potters' escape to their own time. He had felt Riddle try and enter his mind to verify this fact, and unlike every other time that Harry had placed up a wall, he allowed it. Rather than giving the monster free reign to his memories and possibly Order secrets, Harry pulled up the memory of saying goodbye to his parents and thought as hard as he could about it. Not an instant later, he had felt a searing pain on his forehead and knew that Voldemort had seen it as well. The throbbing had continued since then.

Rubbing his scar absently, Harry thought of what it meant to be an heir, and furthermore how the other heirs would be affected by knowing him. Neville and Luna had both proven to be good friends, and neither of them should have been forced into a battle solely because of their ancestry. Dumbledore had mentioned Neville's willingness to fight, but Luna had simply been included in the meeting without any real mention of duty or even a want to participate.

Harry closed his eyes and allowed the image of Luna rasping the new, or rather ancient, prophecy once more. He had thought of it often since he had heard the original version, and he was just as confused now as he had been when he first heard it in the Headmaster's office. Harry sat up and sprawled himself across his bed to reach for the trunk at the foot. He pulled out his borrowed parchments and began scanning them over for what must have been the hundredth time, hoping against all odds that he might find something useful that he had missed the fist ninety times.

Page after page of yellowing parchment went by, each containing interesting documentation of Hogwarts history, but never teaching anything relevant to Ravenclaw's prophecy. He had stopped to laugh at finding an amazing sketch among Helga's notes, depicting the other three founders in a game of tag with a mountain troll; Hufflepuff certainly had the sense of humor for the group.

Finally tired of reading the ancient footnotes and feeling as though he may go cross-eyed, Harry set the parchments back into his trunk for safekeeping and laid back down to rest his eyes. Now he chose to think of his remaining best friend and of what he would soon have to endure. There was little worry about the outcome as Ron had done nothing wrong; once the story was told the Ministry will have no choice but to see things from Ron's point of view and understand that it was indeed in self defense. Ron had already lost so much, and now he was going to be tried for some ridiculous technicality that the Minister obviously felt would find him a great deal of publicity. Harry ground his teeth as he thought of how badly he wanted to kick the old man in the head once more.

Before he could further process the wonderful imagery, Harry was stirred form his imagination by a sturdy tapping on the window. He got up to the sill and found upon the window, a large brown delivery owl with a scroll attached to its talon. The owl held the note out, and Harry read Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley in curling black ink.

'I'll bring it to Ron,' Harry told the owl, and the black eyed creature stared at him in silent contemplation before apparently agreeing and holding the letter out further to be untied.

Harry started rushing toward the dormitory door the instant he had the scroll in his hands, but turned back sharply when he heard the screeching arrival of another post owl. He rushed toward this smoky gray bird and held out his hand impatiently, sure that another letter had arrived for his best friend. Upon untying the letter, Harry was surprised to find his own name scrawled across the front in very familiar green lettering. Now certain that the letters would pertain to Ron's trial, Harry sprinted across the room in record speeds and nearly knocked over several third years on his way to the common room. As soon as he leapt off the bottom stair he thrust the scroll addressed to Ron into the redhead's arms where he sat in front of the fire.

'What's this?' Ron asked sardonically, clearly certain of what it was as he unrolled the note.

Harry watched his friend cautiously, hoping the letter would not address anything too outlandish and throw Ron into a spiral of nerves and doubts. Many other students were now watching the red-haired Prefect with keen interest, causing Harry to bristle and shoot a rather unwarranted glare around the room. It worked to efficiently rid the closest seats of students, and Harry had to tell Marc to sit back down when the curly-haired boy got up as well.

'Don't flatter yourself Harry,' Marc laughed as he walked across the room. 'There's a bird at the window.'

Harry watched as Marc opened the window and another post owl flew in, extending its message for Marc to remove. Marc scanned the name quickly before sighing and giving Harry a nod and confirming that it was addressed to himself.

'At least we know what they're for,' Ron said dejectedly as he began to read his own.

Harry and Marc both waited to read their letters, and both boys expressions grew increasingly worried as Ron read on. The redhead's eyes continued to widen as he read the contents of his letter until finally he shook his head in disgust and threw the parchment across the room with a cursed shout. Marc rushed over to pick it up before anyone else could read it.

'What is it Ron?' Harry asked anxiously, unsure of how to deal with Ron's news. 'Have they decided on a date for the trial,' he ventured, figuring Ron's anger meant it would probably be in the next few weeks.

'Tomorrow!' Marc's incredulous shout filled the air and had Harry nearly floored.

'What? You can't be serious,' he cried angrily. 'They've not given you any time to prepare,' he defended Ron the best he could, but found himself falling short of arguments.

'First thing tomorrow morning, nine o'clock in the Great Hall,' Ron explained more accurately, and now Harry understood the embarrassment in his best friend's eyes.

'Why on earth would they do it at Hogwarts?' Harry demanded furiously, wanting to help his friend in any way possible. 'Surely another ploy of Fudge's.'

'Actually, it's on Dumbledore's request. He sent a formal request to the Wizengamot for me to be tried in an environment where my friends and family could be present to witness it. Dumbledore told me last night that Fudge had been furious at first, and only agreed when the Wizengamot consented provided Skeeter could be present as well.'

'I'm so sorry Ron,' Harry said as he deflated slightly and started to unroll his own letter.

'You and Marc are to be witnesses to the event,' Ron told both boys as they read and confirmed the news in their letters from the Headmaster. 'Dumbledore had to fight Fudge on that too. The pillock didn't think I even needed a witness. He said the evidence spoke for itself.'

'Well don't think on it Ron,' Marc told him and clasped his shoulder firmly. 'There's nothing Fudge can do because we will be there now, and believe me when I say you did nothing wrong.'

'I'll duel the little green man if I have to,' Harry added hotly, eliciting a small grin from Ron and a laugh from Marc that had all three of them picturing the Minister on the receiving end of Harry's temper.

'Quite a step from kicking him in the head,' Marc said quietly with a glint in his eyes. 'I wish I could have seen that.'

'You and me both,' Ron said disappointedly before getting to his feet and informing his friends that he wanted to get to bed early; he had a big morning ahead of him.


	28. The Witness Part II

The next morning found some of the most disheartened Gryffindors the castle had seen in years sitting quietly at the long table with forlorn expressions and nearly all empty dinnerware. The news of the trial had rapidly swept the castle, reminding every student of their recent losses and taking away the momentary excitement and enthusiasm that had been so thankfully instilled by the renewed dueling club.

Now Harry sat next to Marc and Neville, the blond boy wanting to do all he could for Ron in his time of need. As he had previously told Harry at St. Mungos, he fully intended to back his friend up if the opportunity arose. While Ron assured he was comforted by his friend's support, he looked anything but as he rocked uneasily in his seat, refusing to eat anything placed on his plate.

The morning had begun with the dawn's first lights illuminating the frantic form of Ron Weasley, pacing unnervingly in his dormitory. Harry had awoken second to find the Prefect muttering to himself about how terrible it would be should he land himself in Azkaban, noting most frequently the different ways his mother would kill him. It had taken nearly half an hour of reassurances from all of his roommates before Ron finally sat down, only to have an owl arrive with a note and send him pacing about once more, this time talking to himself loudly and describing some of the more detailed and unusual ways Mrs. Weasley would deal with him.

It turned out that only Ginny had the ability to soothe her older brother and now she was seated directly next to him with a hand on his shoulder while he swayed on the bench. Presently, she was trying to convince him to at least eat some toast, but he continued to explain that he would surely be sick if he did and therefore pushed the plate away again.

As breakfast came to a close, Professor Dumbledore announced to the students that they were to return to their common rooms and that lessons would be cancelled for the day. At nine o'clock should any students wish to attend the hearing, they were to return quietly and take a seat in a specially designated area as per Ron's approval.

A clamour filled the hall as students began to amble toward the exit, Professor McGonagall's voice barely being heard over the din.

'Weasley, Weasley, Potter and Evans, if you could all please join me in the antechamber for a word. The Headmaster would like to go over a few things before the Wizengamot arrives,' she said in her regular administrative voice, but coupled with her softened expression it made for a very rare yet reassuring sight.

The four teenagers walked solemnly behind their Transfiguration professor, and through a narrow doorway to find more than just the Headmaster awaiting them. Seated in various sized armchairs around the fire and all looking quite anxious were the rest of the Weasleys, Tonks and Kingsley, and a dark-haired woman Harry had never before seen.

The stranger stood next to the Headmaster and wore professional looking robes of deep purple. Her sleek black hair was pinned up neatly atop her head and as she turned to face the new arrivals Harry felt as though he had been hit in the gut. The woman's large brown eyes and friendly flushed cheeks made her just as beautiful and approachable as her daughter.

'Mister Weasley,' the Headmaster said as a greeting, 'I would like you to meet Marissa Chang. She has graciously volunteered her services to assist with your trial in any way that she can.'

'Hello, pleasure to meet you,' she offered her hand to Ron and then turned to Marc and Harry in turn. 'Harry, how are you?' she added when she shook his hand. 'Cho's told me so much about you.'

Harry smiled awkwardly at her for a moment before she turned back to Ron and began speaking a mile a minute about the many details of his trial.

'I've read the extensive notes compiled for today's trial, and honestly Mister Weasley, there is very little for you to worry about. Provided the statements made by yourself and your witnesses are true, the testimonials of Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt will guarantee that you walk away entirely clear of charges.'

A collective sigh filled the large antechamber as all of the Weasley's felt relief for their family member, though Ron did not seem as assured. Professor Dumbledore told Ron that he, Harry and Marc would now go over some preparatory questions alone with Mrs. Chang and that they would all see each other in a few moments for the trial. Harry watched nervously as each of the Weasleys either kissed or hugged Ron in a sign of luck and support before leaving the chamber to find seats in the hall.

As soon as they had gone, Mrs. Chang began asking questions that she would either be asking herself or that she anticipated the opposing witch or wizard to ask. Ron was rather taken aback by some of the more difficult and accusatory questions, flaring up in anger on more than one occasion.

'I realise that you did not intend to murder someone Mister Weasley,' Marissa Chang said politely as Ron made to stand up in anger once more, 'but you need to be prepared when the Ministry official asks you a similar question. Reacting with rude outbursts and fits of anger will do nothing but reinforce the idea that you are a violent youth. It is the picture you will allow them to paint.'

Ron sniffed loudly but took his seat again and tried to calm himself. The red in his face was getting darker by the second and Harry feared that when the trial did begin, his face would be indiscernible from his hair. Mrs. Chang graciously gave Ron a break by asking Marc and Harry a few questions, mostly on what they had seen that night and then a little bit about Ron's personality and other small things to boost his image. The hardest part for Harry was definitely reliving what was now one of the worst moments of his life. By the end of the session, though somewhat disheartened by the agonizing memories, Harry was feeling quite confident that his friend would be alright, and even Ron seemed to have visibly relaxed.

A soft knock on the door alerted them all that they were to take their places in the hall and a moment later the three boys followed Mrs. Chang through the door and into the magically enhanced Great Hall. At first Harry had barely recognized the room, having been magically doubled in size and filled with row upon row of spectator-like seats. Where the staff table usually sat at the head of the room, a single table and chair now sat, most likely the seat in which Ron would be questioned by the Ministry officials.

Harry was flooded with memories of his own trial when he looked up to the left and found the rows of seats filled with the very official looking members of the Wizengamot. In front of these rows sat three plush arm chairs, and Harry found himself extremely relieved to see them occupied by the Headmaster, Amelia Bones and Cornelius Fudge. While Fudge may have been insufferable, as far as Harry recalled, Amelia Bones had always been fair, something that would surely favor Ron's case. Harry nodded politely to the three as he passed and received a curt nod in return from the short monocled woman. Fudge simply narrowed his eyes darkly.

Across form the Wizengamot were rows of seats housing the Hogwarts students that had come to witness the odd occurrence, which of course was everyone, and the hall was already filled with hushed whispers as the teenagers conversed about what they figured would result. The front most rows of this section had been reserved for the Weasleys and close friends, allowing Ron at least one entire wall of hope and support while he dealt with his nerves. Ron actually gave a small smile when Mad Eye Moody nodded his support from where he sat next to Arthur.

The space behind the main trial area was also filled with seats, most of them occupied now by students' parents and what Harry assumed was the general wizarding public. Unsurprisingly, in the front row sat Rita Skeeter, her acid green quill at alert just waiting to scribble down some nasty and twisted version of the days sordid events. Among the crowd, Harry also found a couple of familiar faces like Madam Rosmerta and Mrs. and Mr. Honeyduke.

The three boys followed Mrs. Chang to one of two tables that sat in the middle of the hall and faced the single chair at the head of the room. Here they took their seats and Harry got his first look at the Official that would be questioning them. Unlike the wizard that had questioned Harry, Ron would be facing off with a very short but fierce looking woman with silver-blonde hair and piercing green eyes. Harry had never seen green eyes look as cold as the witch stared him down in a business-like fashion before moving her gaze onto the next two boys and finally back to her table and notes.

Dressed in flowing charcoal robes and armed with a facial expression that would have hushed Professor McGonagall, the Ministry witch cleared her throat impatiently to get the Wizengamot's attention, and in the process stole away every last bit of hope that Mrs. Chang had just spent the last hour instilling in the boys.

'If we could please get underway Minister,' the woman said briskly. 'There have already been far too many allowances for this trial so if we could please start before I am forced to believe it is truly a personal punishment.'

As she said this, the blonde woman looked over at Cho's mother disdainfully and took on a very Malfoyesque look before looking back for the cue to begin.

'Lovely to see you as well, Arianna,' Mrs. Chang said politely, but Harry could tell that she was trying, and barely succeeding, to keep a smile on her face.

Fudge stood up at this point and it was clear to Harry that he was not at all pleased about the way things were unfolding. Hopefully it had been Dumbledore to suggest the 'allowances' previously mentioned by opposing council.

'Welcome all to this unfortunate event,' Fudge started, addressing mainly the Wizengamot and the rows of non-students, only glancing at them for a withering moment. 'In the matter of Ronald Bilius Weasley, the Ministry of Magic has charged the sixteen year old with use of underage magic outside of school and more importantly the use of an Unforgivable curse. More specifically, the Avada Kedavra.'

Several shocked whispers ran through the crowd and Harry looked up to find some of the parents that had come shaking their heads in disapproval. He took slow steady breaths to keep his frustrations in check as the Minister continued the proceedings in an annoyed and almost grudging tone.

'Today's happenings are slightly unusual at best, and several alterations to the regular protocol have been made in an attempt to show the severity of the charges and to allow the public to understand the zero-tolerance policy enforced by the Ministry in such matters. To ensure a fair trial,' he nearly ground the words through a closed jaw and glared pointedly at the Headmaster, 'Mister Weasley has elected to choose his own representative in Mrs. Marissa Chang, who will be opposing to our own Miss Arianna Fairbanks. We shall hear from a number of witnesses and hear the telling of the accounts of the evening on which the charges occurred, at which time the Wizengamot shall discuss what they have heard and give a final ruling. I ask that everyone remain quiet throughout the entirety of the trial and now Mrs. Chang, if you could please start us off.'

Fudge hastily dropped back into his seat at this point and watched through narrowed eyes as Mrs. Chang stood up and walked into the cleared area at the head of the hall to address the Wizengamot.

'Thank you Minister,' she said offhandedly before smiling respectfully at the somber witches and wizards that would soon determine Ron's fate. 'I would like to begin by calling Ronald Weasley to the front for his initial account of what occurred on the evening of December twenty sixth.'

An old witch with a long graying plait nodded solemnly in approval and a moment later Ron had crossed the room and was sitting in the tiny table and chair, the focal point in the room.

'Now, if you could please promise to tell the truth and nothing else, we can begin the questioning,' Mrs. Chang said politely and smiled warmly at Ron, who as Harry had predicted, was already beet red and looking quite clammy.

'Yes, ma'am,' Ron choked out quietly.

'Very well, could you please state your full name, age, and level of magical schooling completed to date.'

'Ronald Bilius Weasley, sixteen, and fifth year at Hogwarts,' he answered normally.

'Very good, now can you tell me about the night of December twenty sixth?' she dove right in with her first prepared question, something Ron unfortunately had not gotten used to.

Ron swallowed hard but nodded his head in assent before beginning his tale.

'It all started with a great holiday,' he said calmly. 'We had a wonderful dinner with family and friends and as the night came to a close, we said goodbye to our friends and turned in for the evening. I had been asleep for only an hour I suppose when I was shaken awake by one of my roommates who told me that Herm-' he paused and took a deep breath. 'He said that Hermione was in danger and that we needed to help her.'

Harry looked over to find that Miss Fairbanks was madly scribbling notes on a stack of parchment, possibly even quicker than Rita's quill could manage.

'I instantly got ready to help and myself and my two roommates went to Hermione's home to check and see if she was alright. Unfortunately when we got there we saw the Dark Mark already hovering above her home and ran as quickly as we could, hoping that we weren't too late.'

He paused again here, and Harry could see that several people in the stands were looking sympathetic for the red-haired boy. His mother in particular looked torn at having to sit on the sidelines while her son was forced to relive such a horrid experience. Ron remained quiet for the next little while and only resumed the tale when prompted by Mrs. Chang.

'What did you find at the Granger residence Mister Weasley?' she asked softly.

'I was the first to open the door and what I saw was truly horrible. The walls were covered in the burns and holes of deflected hexes and curses, clearly signs of a lengthy battle. At the end of the hallway I spotted two Death Eaters, both cloaked and wearing masks, but hovering over and training their wands at something on the corridor floor. It took me a moment to realise that it was Hermione, and when I did take in the severity of the situation I reacted the only way that I could. I needed to save Hermione.'

He fell silent again, now staring down at the floor with tears in his eyes. Harry wanted to be next to him so he could grab his shoulder in support or clap him on the back or anything really, but Mrs. Chang immediately went on with her questions.

'Could you tell everyone the names of the roommates involved that evening please, Mister Weasley?'

'Marcus Evans and Harry Potter,' he replied quietly.

As he had expected, the instant his name was mentioned a low buzz filled the room, only to be extinguished by a glare from the Minister.

'And were they both present for every moment of the evening?' Mrs. Chang asked another of her prepared questions.

'Yes, ma'am. They were barely a step behind me the entire time.'

'Very well, now can you tell me what curse you used on the Death Eaters?'

'I used the Avada Kedavra on the nearest figure, but the other disapparated,' Ron said determinedly, showing that he far from regretted his decision. 'I thought they would kill Hermione if I didn't stop them.'

Mrs. Chang nodded and continued.

'Once the other Death Eater left, what happened?'

'I ran up to see if Hermione was alright. She was face down so I couldn't tell. When I rolled her over I knew we were too late, and that's when Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt arrived.'

'Before you shot your curse, did you believe that Miss Granger was still alive?'

'Of course I did,' Ron said loudly, 'I had to believe I could save her.'

'Thank you Mister Weasley,' Mrs. Chang said kindly before turning to the Wizengamot and justifying the actions. 'As you have just heard, Mister Weasley was not acting out of anger, but rather in defense of one of his best friends. He did not know that she was dead until after her body was turned over, meaning that he had no reason to believe she was beyond help.'

Several members gave small nods, indicating that Mrs. Chang should continue. Ron was allowed back to his regular seat and Tonks was called to the stand next.

'Can you verify that what Mister Weasley has said is true?' she asked confidently.

'Absolutely,' the purple-haired Auror said gravely. 'Kingsley and I arrived as quickly as we could, only to find that Hermione was already dead along with a Death Eater.'

Tonks answered Mrs. Chang's questions easily, all of which were repeated and verified by a testimonial by Kingsley a few moments later. After each person was asked to return to their seats, Harry could feel a weight lifted off his shoulders and could tell by the look on Ron's face that he too was beginning to calm down. Marc was called next and he answered Mrs. Chang's questions just as easily as the others, furthering the strength in Ron's obvious innocence.

Harry was asked to take the tiny seat next, and just as he had expected he would, he felt a flush enter his cheeks the instant all eyes were on him. He tried to focus on the friendly faces of the Weasley's or the Professors sitting behind them. He even tried to concentrate on some of the other students but found it difficult when he saw the uncertain glances he received from some of the public. There seemed to be an equal amount of friendly faces and doubtful ones filling the crowd, something that made Harry realise his palms were sweating.

'If you could please state your full name, age and last year of magical education completed,' he heard his first question.

'Harry James Potter, sixteen, fifth year Hogwarts,' he answered coolly and waited for the next bit.

'Very well, now can you confirm what Mister Weasley said to be true?'

'Absolutely. Ron was only trying to protect Hermione by using the curse. I saw it all just like Marc did, and if Ron didn't react quickly it's quite possible that Marc and I would have been the next targets. He was a brilliant defense,' Harry said quite loudly, watching skeptically as Rita's acid quill scratched zealously across her notepad.

'Very good Mister Potter, you may return to your seat,' Mrs. Chang said with a smile, pointing toward their table.

'Actually Mister Potter, you can stay right where you are and save yourself the trip,' Arianna Fairbanks interrupted for the first time. 'Seeing as how Mrs. Chang is out of witnesses, I had might as well start with you.'

Marissa Chang threw her a scathing look, but quickly turned to Harry and gave him a small nod of consent, causing him to retake the tiny seat and await a new barrage of questions. Miss Fairbanks waited until Cho's mother had retaken her seat with Ron and Marc before stepping onto the floor and pacing back and forth with her notes several times.

'Mister Potter,' she began in a very clinical tone, 'can you please tell me where you were staying over Christmas holidays?'

'At the Nest with the Weasleys ma'am. That's in Hogsmeade,' he answered truthfully, unsure of where this question was going.

'In Hogsmeade?' she repeated sounding very interested. 'I see. And where exactly is the Granger residence located?'

Harry visibly slumped as he realised what she was getting at. Marc had used an illegal portkey for the three of them to get there, but apparently they still did not know who created it.

'In London,' he answered more quietly.

'So how is it, Mister Potter, that three underage wizards made the trip from Hogsmeade village all the way over to London?' Miss Fairbanks now asked with a hinted smile.

'If I remember correctly, a portkey did the trick nicely,' he replied with a near identical smile, the sarcasm nearly pouring from him. 'Shall I describe it for you?' he added unnecessarily, getting snickers from the students' stands but winning a glare from the questioner.

'And how exactly did three underage wizards know to create a Portkey?' she pressed on, ignoring Harry's early onset of difficulty.

'I'm afraid I'm not sure,' he answered truthfully. 'I was far too concerned for Hermione to even think about it.'

A sniff from Miss Fairbanks and a small smirk from Mrs. Chang told him that this was the right answer.

'Very well. Please explain to me how you were able to know of Miss Granger's predicament from all the way in Hogsmeade village. As far as I know, her home was not connected to the Floo network, and she did not send for help.'

Harry deflated once more, struck completely off guard by the last question. What was he to say? He could not very well explain that he had a prophetic dream in which he saw Hermione's screaming face and the forms of the Death Eaters. If he did that, they would most likely cart him off to St. Mungos before the trial even ended.

'I just knew,' he finally answered very seriously.

'I'm afraid that's not good enough,' Miss Fairbanks said coldly. 'You expect all these people to believe that you just knew your friend was in danger and then risked your life and the lives of your roommates, while performing underage magic to save her?'

'Yes,' he replied just as icily. 'You can believe what you like, but the fact that you're skeptical about it only tells me that you have never had a true friend for whom you cared so deeply, their well being or lack there of was enough to interrupt your thoughts.'

'Stay on topic Potter,' she hissed at this and flipped through her notes once more.

'When Mister Weasley attacked the Death Eater using the Killing curse, had the attacker done anything to indicate he might pose a threat?'

'What?' Harry asked incredulous, his surprise filling the air. 'Pose a threat! It was a bloody Death Eater, with a wand trained on Hermione on the floor. If there's something more threatening Miss Fairbanks, please enlighten me,' he shouted disgustedly.

The short blonde woman gave another sniff and narrowed her eyes before turning to address the Wizengamot.

'I will now move on to Marcus Evans, as this witness is no longer being cooperative and is trying in every way to derail this trial.'

Harry fumed in his seat as he saw the many nods of the members agreeing to have him sent back to his seat, before dropping loudly next to Ron and watching as Marc took his place. Mrs. Chang put a hand on his shoulder and told him not to worry about it before turning her attention back to Fairbanks' next victim.

'Mister Evans,' she started once again very professionally. 'In your opinion, how would you describe Mister Weasley's temperament?'

'I suppose it's quite good. He's been a friend to me since the day I met him, and he's always been there for me. He's a pretty good mate to any of his friends really,' Marc said with a smile in Ron's direction.

'And how long exactly have you known him?' he was then asked.

'Since the start of year,' Marc said more quietly now, beginning to understand what would come next.

'Well that's not very long now is it? Why did you just meet this year?' she pressed.

'Because I just transferred to Hogwarts for this fifth year,' he said mechanically.

'From where did you transfer?' she asked with a false interest, reminding Harry greatly of Umbridge's insincere sweetness and making him want to hex her right there.

'Durmstrang,' he said plainly.

'Ah, Durmstrang,' Fairbanks echoed the name loudly and with a pitying tone. 'I see. I suppose that would explain how you knew to create a Portkey. Very tricky magic those are.'

'I didn't learn it at Durmstrang, and they're really not that difficult for a competent caster,' he threw her a glare.

'Where did you learn it then?' she asked sternly.

'I learned on my own,' he ground out. 'It doesn't take a genius to learn from watching a parent for ten years. Now shall we get back on track or did you want to discuss pumpkin pasties, because I watched my mum make those all my life as well?'

Another round of snickers filled the hall, causing Miss Fairbanks to once again remove the witness and replace him with another. Tonks and Kingsley were both questioned next, and despite the woman's attempts to discredit them, they refused to indulge her with emotional responses. By the end of their questioning, the room was very convinced that the image the Aurors had walked in on was one with two very dead bodies.

Finally Ron was called to the front for his final questioning, and Harry was definitely beginning to worry as he watched the tall Weasley take his seat in the tiny chair and stare at the floor determinedly. Things were not going as well as they had hoped, and now Mrs. Chang was reviewing her notes rather hectically; not the most reassuring of acts.

Harry looked over to the plush chairs, hoping for even the slightest of encouragements from the Headmaster or even Ms. Bones, but was shocked to find the old wizard had left. He spun his head around, his eyes searching every inch of the room as Ron's questioning began, still unable to find any hint of where Dumbledore may have gotten to. Did he not feel this was important enough?

'Mister Weasley,' Fairbanks started in a much more brisk tone than she had with the others. 'You performed the Avada Kedavra on a human being, effectively murdering him on the spot. Is this true?'

Ron looked up at her with fury in his eyes, and Harry could tell this was the response she was looking for. He tried to get Ron's attention, luckily making eye contact and shaking his head in warning before the blue-eyed boy responded.

'No ma'am,' Ron ground out. 'I did not murder anyone. I used the curse in defense for Hermione and the others in the room.'

Arianna threw a scathing look over her shoulder at Harry before continuing.

'I'm afraid that simply is not good enough Mister Weasley. Any number of curses could have been employed to incapacitate the attackers, and from what I've heard from the witnesses, Miss Granger was already dead when you arrived. Is this not true?'

'I didn't know she was dead,' Ron shouted, red-faced and clearly furious. 'I thought I could still save her, so I tried! That is not illegal!' he added, slamming his fists down on the table in a fit. 'My best friend is dead and you're all worried about the poor Death Eater. It makes me sick!'

Harry closed his eyes as Miss Fairbanks dismissed Ron with a smile and took her seat once more at her table. After a few moments of reviewing their notes, both Miss Fairbanks and Mrs. Chang got to their feet and approached the Wizengamot. They spoke in hushed tones for a moment before the entire group excused themselves into the antechamber to further deliberate.

Harry, Ron and Marc were now sitting alone at their table, most eyes still watching each of them with calculating gazes, wondering if they were lying or if perhaps they were telling the truth. From the looks in the crowd, Harry decided that the majority of people agreed with Ron's actions and hoped that the Wizengamot felt the same way. Both boys reassured Ron one last time of his safety, before the door to the antechamber reopened and the group emerged, closely followed by a perturbed looking Ms. Bones and a very smug Minister for Magic. As though that was not enough, Mrs. Chang stormed back to their table looking furious and Miss Fairbanks looked all too pleased with herself. Harry noticed at the same time that the Headmaster has reentered the hall and was also retaking his seat.

Harry watched him for a moment as the whispers began to die down in anticipation of what would come next, but he found that the expression on the old man's face was foreign to him, leaving a very unsettled feeling in the pit of his stomach. Dumbledore's face was unreadable for the first time in Harry's life, and hard as he tried he could not get the man to look his way; it began to feel like fifth year all over again. Dumbledore was staring meaningfully at something across the room, and when Harry finally followed his gaze over to the Hogwarts stands he was very surprised to see Severus Snape sitting in the back row with Professors Sharpbane and Black.

Harry was about to nudge Ron and Marc to let them know, but was prevented as the Minister stood to give the deliberation.

'Thank you all for being so patient,' he began with an undersized smile, brushing the sleeve of his lime green jacket unconsciously. 'It has been thoroughly discussed, and as expected the Wizengamot have come to the rightful conclusion that Mister Weasley did indeed use excessive force in a situation that did not call for such drastic measures. While there was some debate on the sentencing, it has been agreed that three years in Azkaban will be sufficient-'

The old man's words were drowned out suddenly by an uproar of angry shouts and protests, most of them coming from the Weasleys, Professors and students. Harry had gotten to his feet along with Marc and both were now being held back by Kingsley, Moody and Charlie to prevent them hitting the Minister. Ron sat quietly in his seat, looking stunned and unsure of what to do as Mrs. Chang tried to console him.

'SILENCE!' Fudge's magically enhanced voice boomed over the hall, stopping nearly everyone from shouting obscenities in his direction. 'The decision has been made.'

Amelia Bones got to her feet now and everyone stared at her expectantly, hoping that as the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, she might overturn the ruling.

'While I do not agree with the decision made,' she said in her low gruff voice, 'Mister Weasley is not able to present us with a witness who can say with certainty that Miss Granger was alive. The two Aurors present have made it abundantly clear that the young Miss was dead and that leaves us no choice but to look at the Unforgivable as an act of violence and vengeance. I truly am sorry Mister Weasley, but my hands are tied.'

'Surely there is something that can be done. The boy is after all under age Cornelius,' Dumbledore finally stood and made his presence known. Harry was afraid that he would not.

'You listen here Dumbledore,' Fudge trembled in anger, his face becoming as red as it usually did when the short man confronted the Headmaster. 'The decision has been made, and no amount of coercion from you will change that. Unless you have somebody up your sleeve who was there that night and who can clearly show to the world that Miss Granger was alive when the curse was shot, the boy will be in Azkaban tonight!'

Dumbledore smiled at him then and surprised everyone by taking his seat.

'If that's what it will take, very well Cornelius.'

As if on cue the large ornate doors to the Great Hall swung open and every head turned to watch as Dumbledore's witness strode in, wand gripped firmly in hand and an expression to kill. Harry watched through disbelieving eyes as she made her way purposefully toward the stands, and if he had not known her better, he would have thought that Hermione was out for blood.


	29. Teaching Malfoy A Lesson

Chapter 27: Teaching Malfoy a Lesson

Loud gasps of astonishment and a shriek or two of surprise filled the hall as the determined and clearly incensed form of Hermione Granger strode toward the Minister for Magic. Cornelius Fudge watched through saucer-shaped eyes, spluttering from his muted mouth as the dirty and bloodied sixth year witch rushed at him with her wand drawn and a scathing look pouring from her eyes.

'Hermione?'

Ginny was the first person to call out the name, and as soon as she had, the rest of the hall burst into exclamations of what a miracle it was for the girl to have returned from the dead. Ginny ran across the room to throw herself at Hermione but before she could reach the bushy-haired girl, Mrs. Weasley grabbed hold of her daughter and held her back. The large woman had tears in her eyes as she looked upon the love of her son's life, but said nothing and made no attempt to approach her lest it not be true. Ginny continued to struggle against her mother until her father held her back as well, reminding her that Ron was still in trouble.

Harry and Marc were still staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at their friend, unsure whether or not to believe their own eyes, or perhaps wonder if they were in some outlandish dream where things would soon end and return to their usual state. Ron on the other hand had an unreadable expression on his face as he stared blankly at Hermione, who had walked straight passed everyone and sat herself in the tiny chair for questioning.

'Miss Granger?' Fudge finally managed to form words as he composed himself. 'What is the meaning of this intru-'

'Oh do shut up,' Hermione's voice sounded for the first time in the hall and every voice fell silent in surprise.

The girl's usual strict tone and firmness were not conveyed by her now weary and extremely harsh voice.

'You asked for a witness and now you've got one. Let's get this over with though, because I'm very tired and have far more important things to do than convince you of the obvious.'

Fudge blinked awkwardly in astonishment at having been addressed so rudely by a student and said nothing. A hand rose to his shoulder and pulled him into his seat before he could splutter a response, allowing Amelia Bones to rise, replacing the monocle that had fallen from her eye in surprise when Hermione had arrived.

'Miss Granger,' came her guff voice in what Harry decided was a rather good play at her regular tone, considering what she had just witnessed. 'While I am both surprised and delighted to see you alive, I must first test the validity of it all.'

Hermione nodded her head and placed her wand on the table in front of her with a sigh. Harry noticed that her left hand had a bit of torn material wrapped around it tightly as a makeshift bandage; spots of dried blood were clearly visible. Bones then withdrew her own wand and waved it in a complicated pattern, whispering 'desaparidium,' and finally nodding firmly toward the Wizengamot; confirmation that the girl truly was who she stated to be.

'Very well, I am pleased to see that you are well,' the older woman said with a small smile. 'But I am afraid I must ask you how it is possible for you to still be alive when this entire hall has just finished hearing the testimonials of five others who were certain of your death.'

'I cannot tell you why I am not dead for certain ma'am,' Hermione said tiredly, throwing a glare in Fudge's direction and prompting him to glower back. 'Only that I am lucky to have escaped my captors and finally make it back to Hogwarts. Unfortunately I was not able to enjoy the reunion with my parents that I had so hoped for as I was prompted to attend a ludicrous trial.'

As she said this, voices around the hall began to abound once more, each person curious as to how she escaped where so many had failed.

'I do not mean to contradict you Miss Granger, but I can hardly believe that both Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt could have been mistaken in at least seeing you unconscious at the scene of the crime. Somehow they believed you to be dead, but now it is clear that you were under the influence of some curse. I need you to tell me what happened once you woke up.'

'I would be more than happy to Madam Bones, however I must ask that you first pardon Ronald Weasley of his convictions. I am very much alive and therefore the allegations against him can no longer hold true. Minister Fudge said so himself,' she added with a contemptuous stare at the short man, nearly hissing his name.

'Of course dear,' the woman said immediately as though it were obvious, 'Mister Weasley is free to go.'

A burst of cheers filled the hall as these words were spoken, but the noise was once again snuffed by Fudge's cry of outrage.

'I don't think so!' he screamed, his face reaching a shade of purple that would have made Vernon Dursley look quite pallid. 'So the girl's alive. It makes no difference! Weasley used an Unforgivable when he believed the girl to be dead! She was unconscious and could in no way be a witness to the night's events. This changes nothing!' he finished spluttering.

'I know exactly what happened that night, and were your mind not so intent on securing publicity you might have thought to ask me,' Hermione snarled loudly, making several people jump as she slammed her hands hard on her table.

Harry looked from the increasingly infuriated Minister to the incredibly angered expression on Hermione's face, still unable to believe what he was seeing. The girl's hair was in more disarray than was usual, framing her entire face with thick curling strands, each doing a poor job of hiding the gashes and bruises on her usually clear face. Hermione looked as though she had been beaten badly and the bits of dried blood on her upper lip and staining her blue cardigan furthered Harry's belief that she narrowly escaped her captors with her life.

'Are you saying that you saw what happened the night of your attack?' Madam Bones asked then in a sort of curiosity Harry had not heard before from the formal woman. The question worked to pacify the Minister and distract Hermione, as the woman had obviously noted just as Harry had, that Hermione had retaken her wand.

'Mostly ma'am. I had just finished cleaning up the kitchen with my mother when I heard the noise of someone apparating in our front corridor. I knew instantly what was happening as none of my friends can apparate yet and they would not simply let themselves in without knocking first. I immediately told my parents to run out the back door, but they argued for a moment and then it was too late. The first curse shot through the doorway and nearly hit my father, so I had them both duck behind the table and I ran into the corridor where I knew I could try and hold my attacker off.'

She took a deep breath here and let it out slowly before continuing. Harry could tell that she was fighting off exhaustion as her lids drooped heavily between her comments.

'I of course knew there would be more than one attacker, as Death Eaters aren't all that keen on fair fights, but I never expected three of them to be sent for me. I don't even know how long I held them off for, but then one of them noticed my mother looking in from around the table and made a go for her. I tried to stop him, but the instant I lost my concentration, one of them caught me from the side and I fell. I remember falling and thinking it was the end, and that I had failed. I knew they would kill my parents and there was nothing I could do.'

Harry listened to this story, and watched Hermione's battered face as she expressed her regrets at not saving her parents. He now understood why she had been so adamant about spending the holidays with them; had she not, they would surely have died that night. Several others in the hall must have agreed as a silent murmur ran through the crowd.

'An odd thing happened then,' Hermione said darkly, and more quietly forcing many people to lean in to hear properly. 'They did not kill me, or my parents. I heard one of them agree to meet the other two at the next house after they had dealt with me. I could not move, and I could see nothing but the floor, but I heard everything that happened after that.'

She looked across the room then and for the first time her gaze locked tightly with Ron's. Harry heard his friend's shallow intake of breath and looked over to see him staring back at her, an unidentifiable look in his eyes.

'I heard everything,' she repeated with a small smile on her lips, and Harry watched as both of his best friends shared a moment that had been long overdue.

'And what did you hear Miss Granger?' Madam Bones' gruff voice prompted Hermione to continue, however her eyes did not break away from Ron's.

'I recognized the voice of one of my attackers: Macnair,' she said as though the name left a foul taste in her mouth. 'He was telling the other one to get me ready so that they could leave, but before either of them could do anything I heard the door burst open and then I heard Ron shoot his curse. I knew the instant I heard the thump of Macnair's body what he had done, and I'm sorry Madam Bones,' she now said with defiant tears in her eyes, 'but I'm glad. I don't know what those two could have done had Ron not been there, and if it makes me a bad person to be glad he saved my life, than I'm sorry.'

'A new murmur rushed through the crowd as people discussed what they had just learned. Harry distinctly heard a man behind him call Ron a hero and noticed that Rita Skeeter's quill was manic.

'There is no need to be sorry Miss Granger. It appears that Mister Weasley did the right thing, and could very well have saved your life that evening,' she announced loudly with a nod of approval in Ron's direction. 'What happened next?'

Harry knew what was coming next and looked over at his red-haired best friend, knowing how embarrassed he would feel that Hermione had heard everything he had said that night. Now it would be announced in court and then broadcast to the rest of the wizarding world by none other than Rita Skeeter. The bug-like woman appeared to be in raptures as her quill darted back and forth across her notepad, scribbling down hundreds of what would surely be falsified statements and details of Hermione's account.

'I felt Ron turn me over then, and that's when I realized I must have looked dead because my eyes were actually open and I could see him looking at me, but I still couldn't move. I couldn't react as I heard all of my best friends react to my being dead, and that's when Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley arrived to take me to St. Mungos. I could tell that from the look in their eyes that they also thought me dead, but still they didn't give up.'

Harry saw the bit of relief in Ron's face that Hermione had chosen to edit her tale, and found himself smiling as he noticed a bit of Ron's life return to him. His eyes were already glistening from unshed tears for Hermione's suffering, but behind the hurt and surprise of everything that had happened that morning, something had just reawoken in the Weasley boy.

'Outside of St. Mungos I felt as Tonks was taken by surprise from behind and soon someone new gripped me in their arms. I knew of course by the harshness of the hold that it was a Death Eater. The sensation of a portkey landed us somewhere dark and cold. Somewhere with a smell like no other I've ever smelled.'

Harry was bothered when his friend fought back the urge to gag at her memory. Madam Bones remained silent, completely enthralled by Hermione's account of the evening, and a quick glance around the room showed every other expectant face to be the same.

'I was placed on the ground in this cave, I wish I could tell you more about it but I cannot. It was too dark. The Death Eater put manacles around my arms but forgot to take my wand, the git,' she added with a roll of her eyes, making Harry smile inwardly at her ability to criticize even in the face of death. 'I wish I'd heard what spell he used to reverse my paralysis, but either way I regained all mobility and was left alone for what seemed like hours before He came.'

Harry's throat and chest tightened as she said this in her darkest and most grudging voice yet. He knew immediately what she meant when she said He, and was now very worried as to what He had done to her. Ron and Marc evidently understood her meaning as they had both leaned forward in their seats as well, Ron looking at her worriedly. Arthur and Moody were sharing a disturbed glance at this news as well, but Harry found that the Headmaster was looking as collected as ever from where he sat next to an outraged Minister.

'I'm sorry Miss Granger,' Madame Bones said in confusion. 'Who came to see you?'

'Voldemort,' she said determinedly, a pointed look toward Fudge.

The instant the name left her lips, a pandemonium of shouts and calls filled the hall, this time unstopped by the glares and shouts of the Minister. Some people were yelling at one another about the absurdity of the statement while others discussed what a miracle it was for her to still be alive. It was nearly ten more minutes before things were placid enough for Hermione to continue.

'Are you telling me, Miss Granger, that the Dark Lord himself spoke to you?' the grey-haired woman asked with a tone that more conveyed a willingness to understand than doubt.

'Yes,' was her only reply.

'This is ridiculous Amelia!' Fudge was once again on his feet, waving his hands in the air vigorously. 'The girl is obviously lying. Even if the Dark Lord kidnapped someone, and someone worth kidnapping I might add,' he threw a glare Hermione's way, 'he would not be careless enough to let them escape. And especially not unscathed.'

'Unscathed!' came Hermione's roar of protest. 'Do I look unscathed Fudge?' she shouted pulling back her hair to reveal the deep gashes and bruises marring the skin of her face and neck.

Several people gasped when they saw the extent of her wounds, and the Minister paled slightly.

'Is this fake Minister?' she asked more quietly, in a low rumble that dared him to question it.

Fudge looked around the room and seeing the disapproving looks he got from many of the gathered faces, sat back down in a huff.

'Are you absolutely certain that it was the Dark Lord?' Madam Bones' voice filled the hall once more.

Hermione gave an uncharacteristically dry laugh at this, and then nodded.

'Of course I am ma'am. One does not confuse Lord Voldemort with any ordinary wizard. Just like he will not confuse you with anyone else.'

'Very well. I believe that we might continue this conversation another time Miss Granger. One where privacy may be afforded us. I will contact you tomorrow evening. You are all dismissed,' she said with such finality that even Fudge's protests were ignored, and the Wizengamot began to clear the hall, whispering to one another as they did.

The instant Madam Bones declared the trial adjourned, Hermione was crushed under the pressure of a hug from her closest female friend. Ginny had managed to escape her parents' grasps and was now clinging tightly to the brown-haired girl, tears streaming down her cheeks as she told her how happy she was to see her.

Mrs. Weasley had finally approached them to pull Ginny away and envelope Hermione in a tight embrace of her own, but quickly let go as others came close to say hello. The red-haired woman knew exactly where Hermione wanted to be and helped to hold people back from her as she started through the crowd.

Hermione smiled at many people but quickly and meaningfully made her way toward the table where both Harry and Ron were still standing. Neither of them had rushed to meet her, as both were still unsure of how to feel. Harry was ecstatic to see that she was alive, but did not know how to go about telling her. The past few weeks had been torturous knowing that she was gone, and now suddenly he was supposed to forget that it had ever happened; he was not sure he could do that.

Hermione stepped up to both boys, each standing about a foot away from one another and smiled at them. There was an awkward pause where it seemed they could not decide who should hug her first, but it was quickly abolished as she slung an arm around each of them and pulled them tightly toward her, neither of them objecting, but rather gripping her back tightly as well. The three friends stood there for a long while, each of them comfortable knowing they were together and would never again be separated. Harry smiled as he felt Hermione's warm tears mix with his own on their cheeks and thought to himself how glad he was that the trio was together again.

c /c

Not ten minutes later, the close-knit group of Gryffindors, accompanied by Luna, was sitting on the four-posters of the sixth-year boys' dormitory after having securely sealed the door with the imperturbable. Hermione had refused McGonagall's suggestion that she go to the hospital wing and Harry had been surprised to see the Deputy Headmistress resign to arguing with her. Even more of a surprise had appeared as Professor Dursley walked down the main staircase to the Entrance Hall, finishing what appeared to be a tour of the castle for Mrs. and Mr. Granger. Hermione explained that she had been reunited with her parents that morning and that they would be staying at Hogwarts for the next week or so until a safer location could be arranged.

Everyone had hugged and welcomed Hermione back with open arms and thanks to Merlin once back in the dormitory, however, Harry's happiness had quickly evaporated when his thoughts turned to his best friend being held captive by the Dark Lord.

'What did Riddle want, Hermione?' Harry asked bluntly, scolding himself inwardly when he saw Ginny flinch at the name of her previous possessor. 'You have to tell me exactly what he did to you. I promise I'll kill him for,' but he did not get the chance to finish his threat before Hermione interrupted.

'I never saw him Harry.'

Everyone stared at the bushy-haired girl blankly for a moment, each of them trying to register what she had just said.

'What? But you just said that you could not mistake Lord Voldemort,' Harry asked plainly, fairly certain that whatever her next response would be, it could not be good.

'I lied,' she replied just as plainly, glancing around the room to appraise the expressions on everyone's face before continuing. 'I couldn't very well tell the world what really happened so I went with a more suitable story.'

'Suitable!' Ron cried suddenly, one of his first outbursts in weeks. 'You, Hermione Granger, rule abiding Hogwarts Prefect, just lied to the Minister for Magic, the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Department, and the entire Wizengamot. What could possibly have made you do that?' he asked with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity written all over his weary features.

'Snape,' came her reply, wiping all curious looks blank and replacing them with surprise. 'Let me explain before you all go off,' she added then with a sigh. 'You all have to promise that you won't repeat this to a soul.' She looked mostly toward Luna as she said this, making certain that the girl would not repeat anything she learned about Snape's Death Eater membership.

'The night I supposedly died, I really should have. Voldemort had me listed as one of those who were to die along with the others that sadly did. For some reason,' she said with a bitterness Harry could not place, 'Snape chose to join the group of attackers that came to my home.'

'HE WHAT!' Ron shouted and flew to his feet as she said this, his face colouring instantly.

'He saved me Ron,' Hermione interjected quickly, getting to her feet and placing a calming hand on the redhead's shoulder. 'Because of him the others though me dead and did not kill me. If he hadn't been there they surely would have done away with me.'

'How did he fool the others,' Harry asked tersely, remembering how very dead he had thought she looked that night and shaking his head to free his mind of the ghastly image.

'Potions Master, Harry,' Neville answered the question for her, a look on his face that emulated respect toward the man that he had feared for so long.

Hermione nodded solemnly then.

'He stunned me and then gave me the Draft of the Living Dead once I had fallen. He gave me quite a bit of it too, probably to ensure I looked the part,' she added with interest. 'Either way, it was Snape who stole me away from Tonks, and he's had me safe since then. It was six days before I could even move again so he kept me asleep until the draft wore off.'

'And no one felt the need to inform us that you were still alive?' Harry interrupted at this point, thoroughly angered at being left in the dark yet again. 'Our best friend dies, and everyone lets us think it's true! Just lets us hurt!' he shouted now, his voice reaching the famous Harry temper level.

'I didn't know either!' Hermione shouted back at him, and then surprised everyone by standing and punching him hard in the arm. 'How do you think it was for me Harry?' she asked, angry tears forming in her eyes. 'I had to sleep for six days and then wake to find that I was dead to the outside world and that Voldemort tried to kill me. Then I had to read that some of my friends were dead and that Ron was in St. Mungos and would be put on trial if he ever got out.'

She looked up at Ron and Harry could tell exactly what she was thinking. She had been forced to stare into his eyes while he spoke to her that night, and watched silently while he confessed his love, unable to respond in any way.

'I tried to leave but Snape said that I couldn't. I tried to tell him that mum and dad had to know I was alright but I wasn't allowed to leave.'

Several tears dropped down onto her cheeks as the thought of her parents misery reached her, and Harry felt ashamed for having yelled at her. While it was not her choice to be involved, he could surely think of someone who had orchestrated everything. He was about to comment on how little he was beginning to trust the Headmaster, but Ron beat him to it.

'I've had about enough of Dumbledore!' the youngest Weasley boy ground out. 'Who does he think he is, toying with people's lives like this? I'm through with him.'

'But he didn't know until today Ron,' Hermione said quickly, a pleading tone in her voice. 'You have to believe the Headmaster wouldn't do something like this. He's on our side Ron.'

'Wouldn't he?' Harry said darkly, doubtful that the Headmaster could be blind to something as important as a student's faked death, and miraculous return to thwart the Minister. 'It's not like he hasn't kept secrets before.'

Harry exchanged significant glances with Neville and Luna, and Hermione gave him an oddly calculating glance. He thought for a moment that she was about to say something but she apparently changed her mind and remained silent, satisfied in just watching him.

'So what now?' Ron asked irritably. 'You stayed hidden so that Voldemort thought you were dead, and now he'll know you're not. Why'd you come out of hiding Hermione? He'll only come after you again and more fiercely than ever.'

Everyone gaped at Ron, not able to believe that he was voicing this concern. While they had all entertained that particular thought, Ron was the last person Harry would have thought to be upset at her return. Hermione looked up at him for a moment before putting on a defiant front and stating plainly that she had not wanted to leave, and that it had been Snape who had requested she do it. The statement was once again met by surprised looks, and this time Ron did not know exactly what to say.

'He said that if I didn't show up to the trial it was likely you'd go to Azkaban.'

'How did he know what Ron did if he was hiding with you?' Ginny asked with concern, unsure of what side of this battle she should be on.

'Because I could very well have hit him with my curse,' Ron said then, his eyes taking on a guilty quality Harry had seen a few times in the past. 'I can't believe I almost killed him,' he whispered.

'Yes, well, he was far from impressed to say the least,' Hermione said quietly and her remark was followed by an awkward silence.

'I dare say Voldemort will be far from pleased with poor Professor Snape.'

It was the first time Luna had spoken since the group had entered the room, and the simplicity of her comment had everyone realise exactly what Snape had sacrificed. They all knew that the Dark Lord had killed for far less and that a task as great as murdering Harry Potter's best friend would not be a failure Riddle could ignore.

'He's as good as dead,' Harry said bleakly, deeply bothered that someone would pay the price for saving him heartache yet again; worst of all people it had to be Severus Snape.

'He said he's made a plan but that's all he'd tell me. Please everyone, just trust that he knows what he's doing. Even if you don't like him Ron, you have to admit that he must know what he's doing or he wouldn't still be around after all this time.'

Everyone in the room gave her a doubtful glance but she chose to ignore it, sighing lightly and plastering an obviously contrived smile to her face.

'Now, if you could all please indulge me, I would like for things to go back to normal. I know it's a lot to ask, but please just try. Maybe just tell me about what's happened this term so far, and what assignments I've missed. I really should get started on those soon; I don't want to end up working somewhere with Crabbe and Goyle,' she added with a roll of her eyes; a clear indication that things were not going to change any time soon.

Ginny gave a small giggle and despite Harry and Ron's reluctance to forget the day's events, the group began to discuss lesson plans, assignments, and what turned out to be the most interesting topic to Hermione: the dueling club.

'That was a wonderful idea Harry,' she praised him for his work at splitting up the houses into mixed teams. 'I can't believe Dumbledore didn't do that on his own though. He's always going on about house unity and how we need to get along,' she added more to herself than to anybody else.

Harry heard Ron mumble something about the Headmaster being an old coot, but did not quite catch it all before Hermione bombarded him with more questions about the club. The way things were going, it appeared that Hermione was going to do everything in her power to act as though her dying had not occurred. Whether or not this was a good thing, Harry was not yet confident, but one thing was for certain: Hermione was back, and that felt great.

c /c

Conversation had stolen far into the wee hours and the morning rays of sunlight were far from welcomed when they crept into the dormitory and onto the haplessly tangled trio. Harry had felt the sunlight hit him in the eyes and rolled over in an attempt to pull his hangings closed, only to find that he could not. Cracking open one eye he grinned to see Ron's lightly snoring face happily cuddling into a socked foot, which upon closer inspection to the end of the bed, belonged to Hermione.

Harry decided to just lay there for a moment longer, happy to not be worried for the first few minutes of a new day, and simply disappointed that he did not have a camera to capture what would surely be a brilliant moment the instant Ron woke up. The red head did not disappoint, as barely three minutes later he opened his eyes to find just what had nudged its way into his mouth, and nearly hit his head when he threw himself off the edge of the bed with a shout.

'Blimey, Hermione! You'd better have washed those socks,' he said, red in the face and trying to suppress his own laughter as the rest of their dorm mates chuckled whole-heartedly at the scene before them.

'You three make quite the perfect picture don't you?' Marc said with a grin from his bed next to theirs, causing Ron to gesture rudely before getting up and going to his own four-poster rather red in the face.

Harry and Hermione both gave small laughs but Harry was preoccupied by the distant look in his roommate's eyes. He had noticed it the night before as well, wondering why Marc had not spoken more throughout the evening, rather than sit back and listen. He had caught the boy staring absently off at the wall several times, in an almost Luna-like way.

The Gryffindors began to head down to breakfast, but Harry hung back momentarily, hoping to get a word in with his far-off friend. Marc remained seated on his bed, mid-way through putting his socks on and staring off at the floor again. Harry was getting quite worried about him; he had not been the same since their return from the past.

'Hey Marc,' he called out, pulling the curly-haired boy out of his musing to look up at him. 'Are you feeling alright?'

'Uh, yeah, of course. Why do you ask?' Marc answered swiftly, and Harry recognized the answer to be one of the many he supplied on a daily basis.

'You seem a little bit withdrawn lately,' Harry ventured to say, not wanting to offend his friend, but at least trying to be honest after all they had been through recently. 'Is something bothering you?'

Harry stared at his friend and what he saw in his eyes unnerved him more than anything he had seen in a while. The withdrawn and sunken look in his eyes was nearly identical to the one he had seen in Sirius' after he had been released from Azkaban. He had only ever seen that tormented gaze one other time, and that had been while glaring into the maniacal eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange. Marc must have noticed the piercing stare Harry had fixed on him because he chose to blink then and tear his grey-blue eyes away from him, mumbling something about feeling under the weather before heading toward the door.

Harry definitely did not believe him, but at the same time was unsure of how to approach helping him. How do you help someone who does not want to be helped? This reminded him of the many times Ron and Hermione had tried to help him, and suddenly he was taken back to thoughts of the heirs and the prophecy. It had been days since he had thought of either properly, and now with Hermione back perhaps he would stand a chance at deciphering the riddle.

First he would have to tell her somehow. Harry wrinkled his brow and pulled a hand through his mangled mane before sighing loudly. This was not going to be a simple day.

Breakfast was an exciting affair; owls swept in from every rafter to deposit some sort of package or letter for the girl who had miraculously survived an encounter with the Dark Lord. Hermione seemed quite unimpressed with all the attention, and Harry was quite certain that there had not been that many people at the trial. It was not until they untied the copy of the Daily Prophet that they understood how everyone knew about her return. Staring up from the front cover of the journal was Hermione's battered form, teary-eyed as she told her tale in the witness stand. Above her read the caption: _Hermione Granger returns from the dead_!

'This should be good,' Hermione muttered darkly as she leaned over the paper, with her friends leaning over her shoulders closely, and began to read aloud.

_Last night at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Wizengamot convened to pass judgment on one of the school's attendants, Ronald Bilius Weasley. The boy was found guilty of using an unforgivable curse with malicious intentions, leading the crowd to a near riot. In an interesting turn of events, Hermione Granger, thought to be dead in the Dark Lord's most recent attack, appeared to speak on the boy's behalf, instantly freeing him of all charges. _

_While the girl's survival is indeed a wonderful surprise, the circumstances behind that survival are at best sketchy. She claims to have spoken with the Dark Lord himself, narrowly escaping while his back was turned. Though her appearance was slightly convincing, it is highly unlikely that those events came to pass. _

_Her closeness to the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter, and the perfect timing of her arrival, seem only to indicate that it was in fact all a ploy set forth by Albus Dumbledore to discredit the Minister for Magic. For further details on the trial, see pages three, five, and six._

_Rita Skeeter_

'That cow!' Ron's voice yelled across the hall, getting several curious glances from other students, and a couple of disapproving glares from the staff table. 'How dare she insinuate that this was all set up?' the redhead allowed his temper to flare in spite of the onlookers.

'Well, it sort of was,' Hermione whispered to him offhandedly as she re-read the contents of the article, biting her lip in consternation. 'Besides, I don't think Skeeter had much choice in writing this. The Minister's trying to get back at me for yesterday,' she added with a roll of her eyes.

'What are people going to say?' Ginny asked quietly of the other students in the school, but before she could continue the thought, Cho Chang walked across the hall and tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

'Oh, hello Cho,' Hermione said calmly, but with an edge of surprise in her voice.

'Hello Hermione,' the raven-haired girl said congenially with a wide smile. 'I just wanted to tell you how happy I am that you're alright, and that I for one don't believe that load in the Prophet. Most of Ravenclaw is behind me on that one as well, so don't even think on it.'

Hermione smiled back up at the girl and gave a small laugh.

'Thanks Cho. It means a lot.'

'No problem. Also, I spoke with Professor Flitwick this morning and he asked me if perhaps I'd be willing to help you with what you've missed this past week. If you're up for it, I'll be in the library this evening after dinner and I'd be more than happy to give you a hand,' she smiled.

'Oh, absolutely,' Hermione nearly squealed in delight. 'I'll see you there right after dinner then.'

Cho gave a wave and smiled at Harry before walking back to sit at her own table. Harry watched her go, and could not help but wonder why she was being so nice to Hermione; the pair had never gotten along famously, except for the one time they had been seen sitting together at the ball. Seeing Cho also reminded him that he was to have lunch with her some time soon, and then that he was also to work with her during their next dueling club meeting.

As though Snape had read his mind, and for all Harry knew he had, the Potions professor stood behind the staff table to make an announcement. The moment he stood, all eyes fell onto him and noise instantly vanished from the hall.

'There will be a formal meeting for the Dueling club this evening after dinner, and all students who intend to be a part of this endeavor will be present. After tonight's gathering I shall arrange the teams accordingly, and though I have already practically decided who shall be on which teams, tonight shall be everyone's opportunity to vie for captaincy.'

He finished this with a typical Snape sneer and sat back down, allowing the students to whisper amongst themselves about this new development. As far as they knew, the captains spots would already have been taken; or at least one of them.

Harry narrowed his eyes at this, wondering how fiercely he would have to compete for one of the captain's spots; one would surely go to Malfoy, but other than him, it was difficult to say who Snape would allow. To be completely honest, Harry was rather surprised that the greasy-haired man had even agreed to head the club at all, figuring he would most likely have had potions to brew or brooding to accomplish somewhere alone in the dark.

The sounding of the warning bell had most students packing their things and heading toward their first lessons of the day. Over the clamour of feet and laughing voices, Harry and Ron barely heard Hermione explain that she would meet them in class; she had to speak to Cho about changing the time of their meeting, so not to miss her first dueling club gathering.

Harry barely heard Ron's reply as he was busy watching Marc and Ginny head off toward their lesson, the redhead rambling to him excitedly about something while he stared back at the head table forlornly. When Harry looked back to the staff table, the only professors he saw were Lupin and Black, engaged in one of their regular heated arguments. Resolving to speak with Remus about it later, he made his way through the throng of students to catch up with Ron and Neville, both of whom had gotten away from him.

The beginning of Charms class was rather bleak, neither Ron nor Harry paying much attention to the considerably dry curriculum. Professor Flitwick simply reviewed many of the new Charms they had learned this term, with hopes that his students might apply this knowledge during their club meeting later that evening. The boys talked and joked amongst themselves, occasionally looking up to see if their Professor was on to them, or perhaps if Hermione was trying to get them to pay attention as per usual.

The bushy-haired Prefect was not paying them any mind in fact, but was rather watching their tiny Professor with such interest that Harry found odd even for her. Granted she had missed a week of classes, but that was nothing compared to their second year when she had been petrified. Today she watched their professor closely, mouthing the incantations silently and waving her hand under the table as to learn the new Charms intimately.

It was midway through the lesson that Harry learned of the reason behind his best friend's peculiar fascination. He happened to be looking over in her direction, and suddenly noticed that despite her keen interest for the past half hour, her notebook was completely empty. He was about to comment when, out of nowhere, just as Professor Flitwick shifted his weight from one leg to the next, he noticed a gleam in Hermione's eyes that would not have looked out of place in the Weasley twins'. A split second later, she had flicked her wand and shouted out a string of the new charms, waving her wand incredibly quickly, barely pausing between each motion. Every head in the room watched as the barrage of charms shot toward their tiny Professor, who Harry noted did look rather taken aback as he jabbed his wand into the air in defense.

Susan Bones gasped as Hermione's advanced hovering charm clipped Flitwick's right leg, throwing him off balance and beginning to lift him into the air. Luckily the old wizard was truly qualified for his position and readily ended the charm before throwing his own string of charms at his pupil with a delightful gleam in his own eyes.

Hermione seemed prepared for this though, and despite her brief look of disappointment at not fully catching him with her first attack, she leapt out of the way of an awful engorgement charm and more than adequately shielded herself from the rest. The class continued to sit silently with wide eyes as one of the cleverest witches in their year, and their Charms Professor dueled fiercely back and forth. It seemed that neither was going to give up until they felled the other.

The exchange of magical incantations continued for several more minutes before the classroom door opened to reveal a sneering Professor Sharpbane. Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown both shuddered under her glare, but the other students did not seem to mind her presence, as they were still occupied by the duel that did not end when the door opened.

'May. I. Help you. Professor?' Flitwick grunted as he ducked under Hermione's disarming charm, shooting off his own Tarantallegra before hopping back onto his desk to avoid her retaliation.

'I would like a word with Potter,' she said crisply, no indication of concern or surprise on her face to what she was witness.

Taking the tiny man's squeal of laughter, and 'Good shot, Miss Granger!' as a pass, Harry got to his feet and followed the severe woman out into the corridor, wishing he could watch the rest of Hermione's show rather than speak with Sharpbane. Once in the hall though, thoughts of the duel disappeared when Harry saw several packed trunks next to her.

'Are you leaving Professor?' he asked in mild surprise.

'There can't very well be two Potions professors now can their Potter?' she said as though the answer were obvious. 'Severus is more than capable of handling his classroom, but that is not the reason I have come to speak to you. I hoped that perhaps you would discuss our training with the Headmaster, and if it suits the both of you, you might continue it,' she said with what Harry interpreted as hope.

'But I'm not entirely certain of what you were doing?' he began to explain to the dark-haired woman, shrinking slightly under the exasperated look she showered upon him.

'Honestly Potter, did you learn nothing? You are different from most people. I don't know why. And I don't intend to ever understand it, but for some reason Occlumency has worked best for you when you use your emotions entirely. Anger and pride seem to fuel your blocking the best, and if I'm correct in my assumptions, your feelings will aid you in the art of Legilimency.'

Harry's eyes widened at her last bit, doubtful that he could ever perform such intricate magic when he could barely block her from his mind..

'Don't question me,' she added at seeing the doubt in his eyes. 'Discuss it with the Headmaster and take it from there.'

She peered into his eyes once more, giving Harry the sense that she was not trying to infiltrate his mind but rather memorize something about them.

'I'll tell you Harry,' she caught him off guard with his first name, 'you may be special and the rules may not always apply to you, but don't for a second think that it is all by chance. You did not survive when you were a year old for nothing. Those eyes are special, and you best remember it.'

'What do you mean?' Harry asked incredulous; how dare she bring that up? 'How are my eyes special?'

Professor Sharpbane closed her eyes and took in a steadying breath to calm herself. Were Harry not interested in what she had to say, he would have found her irritation rather amusing. His thoughts sobered as she leaned in closer to speak something more quietly to him, as though afraid someone in the empty corridor might overhear them.

'Besides Severus, I only ever taught one other student the arts of Occlumency and Legilimency. A rather bright minded and bright-eyed Gryffindor girl. Suffice it to say that she did everything for a reason and that she too was guided by her emotions. Until the very end.'

Having finished her last comment in a whisper, Morganna Sharpbane drew her lips into a thin line and nodded firmly to the boy standing dazed in front of her, before flicking her wand and walking away down the silent corridor, her trunks floating noiselessly behind her.

Harry stood silently in the corridor; his back slumped against the cold stone wall as he thought of what he had just learned. Lily had known Occlumency. Why would his mother have needed such a thing, and why on earth were his eyes special? Did Professor Sharpbane know something about his mother's sacrifice that Dumbledore did not?

Harry allowed himself to sink to the ground while these thoughts sifted through his mind, every one of them raising new questions and leaving the old ones unanswered. He was not sure how long he had been sitting on the floor, when the door flung open beside him to emit Justin and Ernie, both discussing how brilliant class had been. They were closely followed by the rest of the class, and as Harry stood to enter the room he found that Flitwick had dismissed them early once the duel had ended.

Listening to the exciting accounts from Neville and Ron, Harry learned that Hermione had eventually been struck down, but not for another whole ten minutes of spell casting. He looked over at his flushed friend, and found her grinning widely despite her loss several moments before.

'What exactly were you doing in there, if you don't mind me asking?' he said plainly, pushing his other thoughts to the back of his mind. 'Attacking a Professor? I think we should take you to see Madam Pomfrey,' he added with a small laugh.

The others laughed as well, and Hermione swatted at the hand Dean placed on her forehead for effect.

'Well, I needed the practice, and I wouldn't mind one of the captains spots on the dueling team,' Hermione said straightforwardly. 'I suppose it was an audition.'

The boys walking with her all began to laugh louder at hearing her reasoning, and soon Ron and Seamus were being chased down the hallway toward their next class of the day.

The group of friends gave up their laughter upon turning the last bend before the Defense classroom. They all quieted as soon as they heard the shouts from behind the door. Harry could not be one hundred percent certain, but he had a fairly good idea to whom the voices belonged. The youths waited awkwardly outside the closed door as others arrived for class, and the shouts continued back and forth. Just as Ron voiced his opinion on skiving the lesson, the door was forcefully pulled open to reveal a red-faced Remus Lupin, anger flashing in his usually placid eyes.

The incensed werewolf scanned the crowd in front of him briefly before scowling something fierce and storming off down the corridor toward the entrance hall. Several people commented of course, but Harry ignored them as he entered the room and took his seat as far away from the front as was possible. If Remus had been sending a hostile signal, it was nothing compared to that of Professor Black's.

The irate Blonde woman paced the front of her classroom; her cheeks flushed an unflattering shade of pink and her hair having tumbled out of its regular secure twist gave her the air of a woman on edge. She turned her gaze to the class, and every person dropped quickly into their seats, each trying their best to avoid her wrath if possible.

'Mister Potter,' she managed to say in a half decent manner, beckoning he come to the front of the room with an agitated wave of her hand.

The air was tense as everyone held their breath, and Harry found himself holding his own along with them as he trotted to the front of the room where he could receive his daily punishment. He walked purposefully toward the blonde woman and noticed for the first time, the frantic look in her eyes as collected things from her desk and threw them haphazardly into a small carrying case.

'I take it you are familiar with the homorphus charm?' she asked frigidly, nodding in response to her own question. 'Alright, and the Arania Exeme?' she nodded to herself again without even looking at him.

'Yes ma'am,' he answered carefully.

'Good. I want you to write me a foot on how it felt when you were placed under the Morsus Minoris curse,' she said flippantly, eliciting several gasps from the students who recalled witnessing the horrid spell.

Harry fumed inwardly when he saw the smirk spread across Malfoy's face, wanting nothing more than to run across the room and connect his fist with the pale aristocratic features he so hated. These thoughts were soon wiped clear along with Malfoy's signature sneer, the moment Professor Black's next rushed words were uttered.

'I must take care of some urgent business, so Mister Potter here will be teaching today's lesson.'

The words rang clear in the silent classroom as every student's mouth fell open in either surprise or disgust.

'There will be a test on these curses next class, and I expect a foot next lesson on whatever topic Mister Potter might elect. Do remember I will hear if anything goes wrong,' she added with a hasty glare around the room before grabbing her carrying case and walking rapidly from the room, leaving a stunned Harry in her wake.

The instant the door closed, Harry found himself at the front of the noisiest classroom he had ever been in. Every student had turned to their partner to discuss what had just transpired, and no one, especially not Harry, could believe it. Harry assumed it was some sort of cruel joke or test on his professor's part, but after five minutes of waiting for her return, he realised that this was truly happening; he was not sure what to do. It took an encouraging look from a rather baffled Hermione before he made an attempt to silence the class.

'Err, excuse me,' he said loudly, but still everyone went on talking even louder. 'Excuse me!'

He shot a helpless look at Hermione now, who gave him another encouraging nod and prompted him to try again. Thinking of what might silence them all, he grinned suddenly and shouted as loud as he could, 'Professor Snape!' If a pin were dropped, it would have been heard in the silence that ensued. Every face whipped around in search of the feared man, only to land at the front with a questioning glance when they did not find him.

'Alright then,' Harry cleared his throat, 'the Homorphus charm is called a charm, but is actually classified as a curse, seeing as how it was thought to be a dark art-'

'You can't be serious Potter,' Malfoy interrupted, leering wider than Harry had thought possible. 'If you think we're going to listen to you ramble on about rubbish for the next hour you're dimmer than even I thought. C'mon Crabbe, Goyle, let's get out of here.'

'Sit back down Malfoy,' Harry said firmly, surprised by his sudden want to take charge of the class; he figured it was more of his desire to irritate Malfoy. 'Unless you want me to tell Professor Black that you disrupted the entire class?' he threatened, and watched as the Slytherin's face contorted.

'Is that the best you've got Potter?' he recovered and gave a raucous laugh before continuing toward the door, both his cronies following.

'Why don't you just shut it Malfoy!' Padma Patil shouted at him from the back of the room. 'Sit back down and shut your mouth for one hour. I'm sure even you can do that.'

Several people snickered as she rolled her eyes, and watched as Malfoy reddened in rage.

'How dare you talk to me, you filthy half blood,' he snarled in response, and reached for his wand.

'Expelliarmus!' Harry shouted and caught Malfoy's wand neatly in his hand before crossing his arms in a glare.

'You give me back my wand!' the silver blond shouted furiously, beginning to cross the room toward Harry.

' Sit down now Malfoy! You'll get it back at the end of class,' Harry bellowed. 'Twenty points from Slytherin,' he added, with a barely hidden smile. 'Check for yourself if they came off at the end of class,' he added before the outraged Slytherin could question it. 'I'll have Professor Black speak to Snape if that's what it'll take.'

That was apparently all it took, as each of the Slytherins sat back down, and though they glared venomously at him, Harry was able to go on speaking.

'As I was saying, the Homorphus charm was considered a dark art due to its relationship with the werewolf.'

c /c

An hour later, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for lunch, feeling both embarrassed by all the attention he was getting, and rather proud of himself for having just taught a Defense class all on his own; not to mention keeping the Slytherins in line.

News had spread quickly about the strange occurrence, and now most students were watching as Harry and his friends ate, many of them openly pointing in his direction; it was not everyday a student was allowed to teach the class. Harry looked up to the staff table and found that Professor Snape in particular did not look pleased about this new turn of events. Harry could not decide whether the glare directed at him was because it had reached the Potion Master's ears that Harry had used his name to silence the class, or because he had removed twenty points from his house; Harry had been pleasantly surprised to find the green stones for Slytherin at a lower level upon crossing the entrance hall after class.

Turning his gaze away from Snape, Harry's eyes fell upon the empty seats of Dumbledore and both Professors Black, who had yet to return from whatever her urgent business, and Dursley. Silently wondering where his aunt was, Harry started to find that the Deputy Headmistress was staring at him as well. McGonagall's gaze connected with his own, and after a brief moment she signalled to the left with her eyes. Harry looked up to where she was indicating and was surprised to see several post owls swooping down from the rafters above, a snowy white bird among them.

'Hedwig!' he cried happily as his snowy owl landed on the table in front of him and nipped happily at his ear. 'How are you?' he inquired, genuinely interested in how his familiar had fared in his absence; he felt guilty for not having gone to see her sooner. 'Have you been keeping out of trouble I hope?' he added with a smile, and offered the owl some sausage from his plate.

'We've been keeping her busy mate,' Ron piped in, smirking at his friend and reaching over to stroke an appreciative Hedwig.

Looking up Harry saw that Hermione had also received a delivery, though hers came from a formal looking black owl, and her letter had the Ministry's seal on it. Assuming it would be the promised letter from Madam Bones, Harry turned back to Hedwig, set on ignoring the previous day's events as Hermione had asked.

'Have you got a letter for me?' Harry asked then, noticing the bit of parchment wrapped around her talon.

She stuck her leg out in confirmation, and he soon had it untied and unrolled. He held it closer to himself as he recognized the familiar green scrawl and realised what the note would concern.

_Harry,_

_It has been quite a while now since we last met for your training. I think it may be prudent to resume your lessons as soon as possible, and more frequently as we have lost quite some time. Meet me in the Transfiguration classroom this evening after the dueling meeting, and we shall see if you have maintained your progress. Eight o'clock sharp._

_Minerva McGonagall_

Harry rolled up his note and tucked it into his robes pocket discreetly, commenting dismissively about Lupin wanting to meet with him later to satisfy Ron and Hermione's expectant stares. Once they had gone back to eating, Harry let out a sigh and continued to stroke Hedwig, feeding her bits of food from his plate as she made contented noises. It had been a while since he had thought about his Animagus training, and even longer since he had actually performed the transformation; the last time being when he was bitten by a werewolf.

Harry's thoughts were disrupted then as Lavender and Parvati entered the hall. Parvati sat down on the bench next to Ron and scooted over so she could lean in to him. Harry could tell that he was uncomfortable as Hermione looked across the table at them and did her best not to make eye contact with anyone.

'When's the next practice Ron?' she asked sweetly, pecking him softly on the cheek and making him go rather red. 'We're up against Ravenclaw for the final match, and I saw them practicing yesterday; they're out to win,' she said seriously.

'I could probably use the practice,' Harry threw in, liking the idea of flying to clear his mind. It had been so long since he had done that now as well. His last match had been amazing in the past, but it was far from mind clearing.

'I've booked the pitch for tomorrow after dinner if that's all right,' Ron said with a nod, looking to the other members of the team for approval. 'Has anyone seen Marc?' he added then, craning his neck to look farther down the table for their fifth year roommate.

Harry looked for his friend now as well, only to find that the distant boy had become more distant than ever: he was gone.

'Was he in class today Gin?' Ron asked his sister, and they were all confused as she shook her head sadly in affirmation.

'He just left after History of Magic,' she went on to explain, twisting her plait through her fingers. 'He looked really sad though all through class, and not just because of Binns. He said he had to go and visit his aunt again at St. Mungos, and apparently she's not doing to well lately,' she ended quietly.

'He told you that?' Harry asked wistfully, wondering why Marc had not confided the same news in him when he had asked how he was that morning.

'Yeah, I felt real badly,' Ginny confirmed as she filled her goblet with tea.

'Maybe we should all do something to cheer him up?' Parvati suggested then, and several of the others agreed.

'How about a party or something in the common room?' Dean's suggestion was also met with nods and words of accordance.

Parvati started to suggest some decorations and snack items they could use when Malfoy stormed past the table, glaring coldly at Harry and then over at her as well.

'I see you're still dating the other half of the filthy half-blood sisters. I guess it's better than that Mudblood Granger,' he sneered. 'To bad she came back,' he added with a pointed look of disgust in Hermione's direction.

Ron, Harry and Neville jumped to their feet, ready to beat Malfoy's face to a pulp, but apparently Parvati's wand arm was quicker as she shot the body bind curse at him. Everyone watched as Malfoy froze and fell forward to the hard floor with a thud. Several people in the hall laughed, and for a moment no one made any attempt to end the spell, leaving Malfoy face down on the ground while they ate. Unfortunately that moment was not long enough, and two voices from the head of the hall chorused loudly.

'Miss Patil!' both Snape and McGonagall shouted, looking at each other for a moment as to decide who would punish the girl.

'What are you thinking cursing another student?' McGonagall continued, having won the battle of glares with her rival head of house. 'Twenty points from Gryffindor and you will serve a detention with Professor Snape whenever he decides is a good time.'

Snape appeared taken aback by the gesture for a moment, but his cool mask of indifference quickly drifted back into place and he confirmed that she could join him in the dungeons after the dueling club meeting that night. Both professors retook their seats, and as an afterthought, ended the spell on the fallen Slytherin. Malfoy got to his feet and dramatically dusted the front of his robes, glaring hard at the Gryffindor table as he stalked out of the hall mumbling to himself about filthy blood.

'That was a great shot,' Hermione surprised them all by congratulating Parvati.

'Too bad you have to spend the evening with Snape now, though,' Ron added sympathetically, still having little love for the man he had grown to hate over the past six years.

Parvati just shrugged.

'It was worth it. He insulted my sister, and nobody gets away with that,' she said matter-of-factly.

'After hearing her have a go at Malfoy today, I'm beginning to wonder if the Sorting Hat made a mistake in splitting you two up,' Neville laughed.

'Oh, there's no mistake there. Very different personalities,' Parvati confirmed. 'But when it comes down to it, Padma will always be my equal.'

Harry's head whipped up as her last word rung in his ears. She had called her sister her equal. Looking up at his aunt's vacant spot at the head table, Harry's face filled with panic and he jumped to his feet.

'I've got to see Dumbledore,' he hissed, frantically rushing out of the hall and leaving his friends baffled.


	30. Moony Mirrored

Chapter 30: Moony Mirrored

Harry ran directly from the many staring faces in the great hall to the overly familiar gargoyle guarding the base of the Headmaster's round office. His mind was reeling as thoughts of the prophecy and what he had just possibly learned meant for his aunt's future, and by consequence, his own.

He leaned heavily on the edge of the gargoyle, and in a voice louder than he wished he had used, shouted a string of various wizard and Muggle sweet names, hoping upon hope that the Headmaster's penchant for sweet-related passwords remained. He gave a grunt of relief when the gargoyle jumped out of his way upon hearing Cockroach Cluster, and ran up the slowly spiralling staircase, impatiently waiting for the top stair to reach the heavy oak door above.

Harry gave two loud knocks on the door, and then allowed his body weight to push the door open, not bothering to wait for the usual greeting. Dumbledore was simply waiting calmly behind his desk with a small smile as usual, his fingers locked together as he stared over them toward Harry in thought.

'Ah, Harry. How nice of you to visit. Can I interest you in a-'he began, but Harry did not learn the name of whatever Dumbledore was offering before he burst into his own offering for the old wizard.

'Professor, I think I've figured out a part of the prophecy,' he said in a panicked voice, causing the elder wizard to raise an eyebrow in question. 'I think Voldemort is after Aunt Petunia.'

As he said this he heard it aloud and decidedly felt very foolish. It was bad enough seeing her at Hogwarts but now he was having notions of her importance to the wizarding world's survival? Dumbledore on the other hand had not shown any marked change, still watching the boy before him calmly as he now enjoyed some orange sweet from a bowl on his desk.

'I heard Parvati express to the Gryffindor table moments ago, that she considers herself and Padma to be equals. If that's the case, then couldn't aunt Petunia be my mother's equal? And the one who is to help me cripple Voldemort?' he further explained.

This time Harry found that his voice came out with an edge of desperation, once again making him realise how very ridiculous it sounded. He was now staring at the floor and feeling strongly as though he should leave the room, with hopes that perhaps Dumbledore would completely forget what he had just seen. Luckily at that point, the Headmaster decided to speak again.

'That is a very keen observation Harry, and one that I think warrants our full attention.' Noticing the red that had found its way into Harry's cheeks and neck, he added, 'Far be it for me to cause you embarrassment Harry. It is not foolish to feel protective of one's family. Even when they are not the kindest people in the world.' Harry had nearly objected to his comment until the last part.

'Take a seat Harry,' the old wizard conjured a wide armchair for him to take, and took another sweet from the glass bowl. 'I must ask that you not be angry with me, but I also felt your aunt may be in danger. As Tom's powers have increased, I have feared that the protection your mother left would decrease further and further until it ceased to exist altogether. At that point, I fear it safe to say that Tom would be as bold as to make an attempt to take you from the Dursleys.

For a moment, Harry did not understand what the Headmaster was going on about; what he explained had nothing to do with what he had just divulged. It was another moment before his eyes widened in understanding and he fixed the old man with a glare.

'You brought her here to keep us together,' he said; it was not a question but a cold fact. 'You offered her the position, telling her she was in danger, but knowing full well that Voldemort wouldn't bother with her as long as I was here. All just to protect me? How could you risk her life by bringing her here?' he said darkly, not as disbelievingly as he once might have.

'I explained the situation to her Harry, and she felt that it was best for her family if she was not around them, lest something should happen,' he offered as explanation, but Harry had already decided that he had cheated her. 'Under these new circumstances I must say it was a clever idea, and it saves us much time in protecting her.'

'How do you figure?' Harry nearly shouted, utterly upset that so many strings were still pulled above his head. 'Aunt Petunia was not in her place in the hall, and the only other place she goes is home. What was the point in bringing her here, if you allow her to go home unprot-'

Before he could finish his rant, the flames in Dumbledore's grate burst forward in a flash of green to expel his aunt, tightly clutching the bundle that he knew to be his cousin Priscilla in her arms. She threw her nephew a very dark look, but before Harry could respond, another burst of flames announced a new arrival and Harry watched with a dropped jaw as the form of Dudley Dursley, carrying a large packed rucksack, entered the Headmaster's office.

Harry looked at his anxious features for a moment, before noticing the building flames in the grate, signal of another arrival about to be unloaded. He held his breath and chose not to comment, for fear that he may faint should his Uncle Vernon step out. More to his dismay, it was not Vernon, but Professor Black to step out next, the baby's mobile bassinet clutched in her arms along with several garments and toys that Harry knew to be his newest cousin's.

At seeing the immoral woman walk out behind his family members, Harry's urge to protect his cousins grew immensely, and his trust for Dumbledore suddenly dropped more than he thought possible. He wanted to shout at the top of his lungs at the old man about how utterly idiotic he had been to send a Death Eater to retrieve the people Voldemort would most want, next to him of course.

The continued dark look shot to him from his aunt and the partially frantic and relieved face of Professor Black dissuaded him from doing so at the moment, but he certainly intended to give the old man an earful when he next found himself alone with him. Harry instead turned to his now excited cousin and greeted him warmly, having to tell him to calm down before the boy would sit in one of the new armchairs conjured by the Headmaster.

'Now,' Dumbledore clasped his hands together as he began, 'This works out well as you are all here,' he gave Harry a pointed look. 'Professor Dursley and her children will be staying at Hogwarts for the next little while, mostly to ensure that nothing dangerous should befall them. I have already assured them that they are perfectly safe within the castle grounds, and fortunately,' he stressed this word with a hint of a smile, 'your aunt has agreed to stay as long as necessary.'

'What about Uncle Vernon?' Harry found himself saying; despite his intense dislike for the robust man, he did not wish to see him harmed by Voldemort. No one deserved that.

At his question, Harry was surprised to hear identical scoffs from Professors Dursley and Black, immediately followed by a murderous glare from Petunia to the blond-haired woman.

'Your uncle has decided it would be best for him to stay at home,' Dumbledore offered lightly, obviously masking the real answer that Vernon would rather die than step foot in Hogwarts.

After a moment's silence, Dumbledore turned his gaze to Harry once more and asked him to show his family members to their new quarters. Harry very nearly pointed out that he could not possibly know the location of the staff quarters, but the amused look he received in return told him not to bother.

The Dursleys collected their things and Harry took the items Professor Black had carried through the Floo before heading for the door. He made a point of avoiding her eyes lest she ask him how his lesson had gone. There was still so much he wanted to discuss with the Headmaster, but as Professor Black appeared to be staying behind, he would most certainly have to come back another time. He eyed the two Professors momentarily before leaving the room, and deciding he disliked Dumbledore more at the moment, fixed him with an icy glare.

By the time Harry had floated his family members' belongings to their new quarters, students were beginning to trickle through the halls toward their next lessons. He would have to be quick about settling them in, else he might find himself in detention with his ever-strict Transfiguration professor.

'Alright, the password you know and I'm sure the Headmaster explained the rules,' he said offhandedly to his aunt, who seemed more determined than ever to simply ignore him as she tended to her fussing daughter. 'I have to get to class now Dud, but I suppose I'll see you at dinner?' he asked expectantly.

Both boys waited as Dudley questioned his mother with a look, and she finally gave a jerky nod of consent.

'Right. Well I'll see you later then,' Harry said quickly before darting back into the halls and down to his lesson.

McGonagall did not chastise him for being late, but surprisingly smiled at him sympathetically while he took his seat, before going on with her lesson. Bothered by the odd treatment, Harry did find satisfaction in the dark look Malfoy sent his way; Harry could tell how badly he wanted to call him out on his late arrival.

The lesson itself was not extremely difficult, but due to a lack of concentration Harry found it to be one of the more complicated spells he had worked on all year. He could not stop thinking about how odd it was to have the Dursleys at Hogwarts, and bristled continuously at the lack of respect the Headmaster had shown him in keeping yet more secrets from him. The old wizard's methods were becoming more and more annoying, and Harry was beginning to feel that his loyalty could only stretch so far.

It was not until Neville had to stun his dinner plate to keep its wiry wings from allowing it to soar off the table, that Harry realised what a dunderhead he must have appeared.

'Thanks,' he whispered to his friend with a grateful smile.

'Are you alright Harry? You ran off to the Headmaster too fast for us to say anything,' Neville asked him in a low voice, though a quick look around him alerted Harry that Hermione and Ron were both leaning in to hear his response as well.

'It's nothing really,' he lied to dislodge the looks and prying ears of all the others who might hear him. 'We'll talk about it later alright.'

Hermione did not seem to accept this, but everyone went back to their work nonetheless, and before long the end of lesson bell rang. Through the clamour of students packing their bags and scraping chairs, Harry barely heard his Professor's voice call him to stay behind. He told the others he would catch them up and made his way to the quickly deserted front of the class room.

'Your work was not nearly acceptable today Mister Potter,' McGonagall gave him a pointed look over her spectacles. 'I realise that certain aspects of your day must be overwhelming at best, but I must ask that you focus during my lessons. We still have much to cover before the end of term, and if you wish to continue your training you best remember our stipulations set forth this summer.'

Harry returned a very wary look, but conceded and gave a half smile before agreeing and confirming their later appointment by informing her he would arrive as soon as Snape dismissed them.

'Good luck Potter,' she added as he reached the door. 'I'm sure you'll do fine. A captaincy will do you a world of good,' she further explained with a narrow quirk of her lips.

'I doubt Snape will let me get one of the positions, but barring Malfoy's spot, it should be interesting to see who fights for the other three.'

'You give Severus very little credit,' McGonagall opined disapprovingly. 'If I recall correctly, it was you who appointed him head of the club, thus you must have trusted his judgement. Biased though he may appear, he cannot deny talent when it is clearly demonstrated. Even Severus respects a good duel.'

Having decided that this ended the conversation, Harry nodded his understanding and gathered his bag to rush toward the Entrance Hall. This would be his second late arrival of the day if he did not hurry. Hagrid did not usually comment on his tardiness, nor did Charlie he reassured himself as he hurried across the lawns toward the half-giant's hut. As he got closer, Harry began to worry when he did not see any of his classmates congregated outside the hut, nor were they anywhere near the forest edge.

Had the lesson been cancelled for some reason? He decided to wander along the forest edge with hopes that he might hear or see the group just within its outer perimeter. Birds were chirping contentedly from their perches above him, undoubtedly enjoying the oddity of natural warmth that the brilliant sun offered today from the cloudless sky. Very little wind met his face as he walked, allowing a very welcomed silence to settle around him as he leisurely strolled the grounds, caring less and less if he found his classmates or not. He decided that this walk was far more useful today than any lesson would have been.

Harry's attention was suddenly pulled to his left where he heard a rustling in the treetops. Wand pulled, he held it up in front of him, thinking of a defense spell that might aid him should something attack. Peering into the dark protection the forest offered its creatures, Harry wondered what could be watching him. He highly doubted it was one of Aragog's children, as they rarely left the center of the forest, not to mention the confines of darkness, though he would have been prepared for them.

Just as he considered casting a lumos for a better look, something leapt out of a treetop far closer than Harry had anticipated and dug its claws into his shoulder.

'Ah!' he screamed as he felt the Kremler's tiny claws dig in for traction. 'Would you calm down,' he nearly shouted at the excitable feline-like creature Charlie had shown them early in the year.

The Kremler surprisingly obeyed and Harry could feel the tiny razors retract from his skin and the tiny animal readjust itself comfortably on his other shoulder.

'Well I'm glad you're at home,' Harry mumbled darkly to the now purring fur ball, as he cleaned the spots of blood that had formed on his robes. 'You're lucky you didn't do more damage than you did,' he continued to talk to his new shoulder pet, ' because if I had to go see Madam Pomfrey, I'm telling you right now-' but he did not get a chance to finish his sentence before he heard his name frantically called from the direction in which he had been headed.

'Harry get down!' he heard Charlie's voice shout again urgently as he spun toward it and felt the cutting of the Kremler's claws dig in once again as it took off in fright.

His eyes grew to the size of saucers as he saw the large winged creature whipping toward him at an unnatural speed. Large yellow eyes glinted ferociously at him as he made to lift his wand, but the creature's large leathery wings proved too quick and before he could react, the dragon was upon him.

A new set of claws, these ones far larger, dug into his shoulders, albeit these ones not so deeply. Harry found himself pinned to the ground under the weight of the enormous black dragon as it lowered its eyes to meet his own. Harry felt absolutely petrified as the beast lowered its snout to him and he felt the alarmingly hot breath from its nostrils hit his face. He gave a shout as the dragon's mouth opened to reveal rows of pointed razor like teeth before a long purple tongue poked out and slapped his cheek hard.

Shocked beyond reason at being tasted by a dragon, Harry barely felt the claws being pulled off him as Hagrid grabbed hold of the creature's apparent lead and pulled it off forcefully.

'None of that!' he shouted loudly at the creature before reaching down to pull Harry to his feet. 'Y'all right there 'arry?'

Harry cringed as Hagrid pressed on the spot where the claws had dug into him twice in the past five minutes, but nodded dumbly as he continued to stare at the enormous dragon that had just attacked him. He also noticed now that the rest of his class and Charlie had collected around him with concern. Hermione got to him next.

'Are you alright?' she asked anxiously, looking him over to ensure nothing was missing. 'I guess he recognized you,' she added with a weary roll of her eyes. 'He did me and Ron too, only he didn't pounce on us because Hagrid was holding him back.'

'Though I think the dragon slobber was more than enough,' Ron lamented and wiped his cheek for good measure.

Harry blinked a few times to express his confusion but was quickly brought into the fold by Hagrid, who admittedly sounded disappointed in Harry's uncertainty.

'It's Norbert Harry. Don't tell me you don't recognize him.'

Harry nearly scoffed in response, but instead nodded that he did indeed recognize the dragon, making a point of not mentioning that the last time he had seen Norbert, the dragon could easily have fit in his hands and not eaten him in approximately five bites.

After a few awkward moments of Hagrid insisting that Harry pat Norbert and tell him that he understood the dragon was merely showing affection, the lesson resumed, and Harry learned the real reason Charlie had been elected as Care of Magical Creatures Professor. According to the two men, the class would continue to study dragons for the remainder of year, mostly Norbert, but also two or three other brief visits from other dragon camps.

The majority of the class seemed to be in raptures as Charlie divulged information about the young Norwegian Ridgeback, but after having faced off with a fully grown Hungarian Horntail, Harry found himself oddly detached to all things dragon. Some of the facts were admittedly interesting, and at one point Harry felt himself perhaps willing to give the animals another chance, until Hagrid mentioned that some students might be able to fly on Norbert come the end of term.

Buckbeak was one thing, and Thestrals even barely made his list of acceptable creatures to fly, but Harry absolutely drew the line at riding on the pointed back of a dragon. A closed look at Hagrid's expectant one had the half-giant back down slightly, muttering that they would see what happened when the end of term came about.

Back in the Gryffindor common room Harry dropped heavily into his favorite armchair, thoroughly relieved to be done lessons for the day, though still aching where he had been cut by the two creatures.

'Hermione, do you think you could help me out with my shoulders?' he asked his friend grudgingly, hating that he had to show weakness in front of others.

At the strangely hostile look Ron sent him he laughed.

'For the pain Ron,' he clarified, pulling his robe aside to indicate the wounds, and laughed again as Ron blushed in embarrassment.

Parvati, who sat next to Ron, obviously elected to ignore Ron's palpable look of jealousy, and instead went on to sympathize with Harry.

'I know how much it hurts to have those nasty little claws dug in if you remember. Be thankful it didn't stay longer than it did,' she quipped, rubbing her own shoulder as in memory of her old attack.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her roommate's dramatics before getting to her feet and examining Harry's scratches with a scrutiny that only she could pull off.

'Hold still,' she warned, and pointed her wand tip at the largest gash before waving it oddly and then jabbing the wound painfully while simultaneously whispering something under her breath.

Harry wanted to push her away for jabbing his wound, but when the pain receded, he looked and was surprised to find his cuts shrinking and closing themselves before altogether disappearing. He rolled his shoulder forward and then backward to test for pain, and found that other than slight stiffness, Hermione had just healed him.

'What did you just do?' he asked her then with a large grin, and found that the others were watching her now in astonishment. 'I thought you were just going to help with the pain. How did you learn to heal, and what spell did you use? I couldn't hear you.'

Hermione looked around to the others discreetly and coloured slightly.

'I take it you feel better,' she replied, and waited for his nod. 'Good, well, I did some reading while I was away,' she intoned that she did not want to go further into that matter, 'and you were not supposed to hear the spell I used. It's not exactly officially permitted for student use,' she added more quietly and reddened deeper.

The entire group grinned at this, and no one pressed her any further after Ron's comment about her being a bad influence on them all.

After discussing the next day's Quidditch practice, Parvati and Lavender excused themselves along with Dean and Seamus, all of them deciding to go down to dinner so they could be prepared for the Dueling club meeting. Ginny left a few minutes after that, explaining she had a meeting with McGonagall about career choices, and Harry vaguely wondered what it was she would become.

Surrounded only by Neville, Ron and Hermione, Harry was unsurprised when Hermione asked him what he had run off from lunch for in such a panic. He stared at her for a moment, considering what he should divulge to his friends that would sufficiently quell their concern while effectively hiding the Headmaster's information and keep his lying to a minimal. A nod of affirmation from Neville coupled with his anger toward Dumbledore helped to convince the raven-haired boy that the time for truth had finally arrived.

Neville stood up and announced that he would be joining the others for an early meal, and after receiving a thankful smile from Harry, took his leave. Hermione and Ron exchanged furtive glances at this before hastily waving him off and rounding on Harry for an explanation. Harry stood and indicated they go up to the dorms with a heavy sigh.

'We need to talk.'

Once they had settled on his bed and securely charmed the door against eavesdroppers, Harry began to describe in detail what had transpired the night he got back from the Department of Mysteries. Noticing the pitying glances his friends were barely concealing, he chose not to think of Sirius right now, and instead dove straight into the prophecy.

'But wait, Neville smashed it,' Ron cut him off before he could tell it.

'Shut up Ron,' came Hermione's harsh response as she prompted Harry to go on with a worried expression.

'It did Ron, but Dumbledore was the person who heard the prophecy originally,' he explained to his wounded friend before taking a deep breath and saying it all in one go.

As the last words left his lips Harry braced himself for their reactions, and it was lucky he did for he had presumed correctly that they would be upset. Hermione was on the verge of tears as she stared at him unblinkingly, and Ron shook his head disbelievingly with a look of utter horror on his face.

'Oh Harry,' Hermione finally launched herself at him, nearly knocking him off the mattress in the process. 'Why didn't you tell us sooner?' she tried to scold him but it was strongly undermined by her unsteady voice. 'We could have helped you.'

'How?' came Ron's response.

'What?' Harry asked, confused.

'How could we have helped him Hermione? He's supposed to bloody kill Voldemort,' he went on a bit louder. 'There's nothing we could have done.' He looked angry.

Hermione looked completely taken aback by this, but Harry simply shrugged.

'He's right. I didn't think you needed to worry yourselves, because to be honest I think I'd prefer not knowing as well. The truth is that it would have happened anyhow, and at least I could have been at peace for the last year.'

Hermione took this in for a moment before firmly shaking her head in disapproval.

'No. You should have told us Harry. I would have told you,' she said and crossed her arms defiantly.

'Well, I'm telling you now aren't I?' he said in his defense. 'Better late than never?' he tried.

'Why are you telling us now?' Ron asked suspiciously. 'There still isn't anything we can do is there? Or have you found a way to defeat him?' he asked, his tone suddenly filled with hope.

'No,' Harry said bluntly, 'but there is something I need help with. You see, there's actually a bit more to it now.'

'What do you mean more?' Ron intoned with wide eyes.

'Well, when I was in the past,' Harry started, trying now not to think of his parents and Sirius again, 'I found another prophecy written out from a long time ago, and Dumbledore assures me that it's real.'

He proceeded to open his trunk and pull out the parchment stained with the wretched foretelling. He then watched his friends as they read it, and reacted in two very different ways. Hermione bit her bottom lip in deep consternation as she thought about what she was reading, whereas Ron laid back with a thump and a completely befuddled expression on his face.

'Who made this prophecy Harry?' Hermione asked with a slightly doubtful expression on her face as she read. Harry knew that she did not have a strong belief in the arts of Divination, and decided that he would definitely enjoy the look on her face when he told her.

'Rowena Ravenclaw,' he deadpanned.

Hermione's eyebrows flew up above her hairline and Ron sat bolt upright with a similar expression. Hermione blinked in an owlish way for a moment and Ron opened and closed his mouth as though to say something, but both simply decided to go back and read the parchment again in silence.

After a few more moments, Harry was about to ask his friends what they made of it when Hermione spoke first.

'So today at lunch you rushed off to check on your aunt then?' she asked, but Harry knew she was stating a fact.

He grinned and nodded at his friend's genius and his hopes lifted with the thought of her deciphering the rest of the riddle. Ron's confusion made him grin wider.

'What have you made of it Hermione?' he asked, serious now. 'I've only figured the easy parts like the flower being my mum and now the equal being her sister. I'll have to thank Parvati for that,' he added to himself.

Apparently his friends heard him because Hermione gave him a distressed look, and Ron suddenly looked uncomfortable. Harry just sighed; this was getting ridiculous.

'Unfortunately that's all I can figure so far. I'm not sure about the last part just yet,' Hermione explained with a furrowed brow, 'but just give me some time and I'll figure it out. In the mean time we have to hurry if we want to eat before dueling club. You'll both need your energy if you're to beat me out for a captain's spot.'

The two boys grinned at one another and Ron rolled his eyes.

'I'm not dueling you Hermione, but I wouldn't mind a go at Malfoy,' Ron declared as though it may be a surprise to his friends. They just shook their heads and chuckled, Harry glad that his friends were attempting to act normal.

'Oh, there's one last thing,' Harry remembered as they reached the top of the staircase and his friends turned to face him expectantly. 'Hogwarts has two new guests.'

Dudley Dursley did a very poor job of fitting in as wizard, though Harry doubted there was a person in the hall who would have told him this. When Harry had entered the hall, Dudley was seated at the Gryffindor table with Dean, Neville, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender, and the group excitedly told the trio about Dudley's run in with Crabbe and Goyle in the Entrance hall.

Apparently Dudley had left to the Great Hall on his own for dinner, and as he entered the Entrance hall he was caught unawares by the spiteful Slytherins that he had already once encountered. Luckily for him, Neville and the others were just coming along, and though they did not recognize the blond boy being hexed, they certainly knew to favor him over Malfoy and his gang. The instant Malfoy's and the brutes' wands were taken away, they stood little chance against Dudley, as he had already proven.

Harry laughed at Dudley's oblivious behaviour, not having the heart to tell him that had Neville not come along Malfoy could really have done him in. He settled instead to warn him against the Slytherins. Harry noticed that many members of the said house were indeed glaring his cousin's way, though many others were obviously frightened of him.

'So will you be staying for the dueling club meeting?' Dean was asking Dudley now, and the older boy nodded with a triumphant grin.

'Mum didn't want me to at first, but I just kept asking until she said yes. Always works,' he added with an underhanded wink at Harry who just scoffed at what the boy could get at the drop of a hat.

'Is Professor Dursley really your mum and Harry's aunt?' Lavender asked him sweetly, and received a nod in response. 'Well then Harry, you and I may just end up being related one day.'

Harry choked on a sip full of pumpkin juice and stared up at the gossipy girl with a questioning glance.

'You know, your cousin and my cousin. Maria says things are going very well you know,' she added with a wink at Dudley, who was now becoming very red in the face, unfortunately making Harry think of his uncle.

'Oh, yeah, well … we'll see what happens. Is everybody ready for the meeting,' he changed the subject and received a grateful look from his cousin.

Murmurs of assent drifted up from the table and Harry figured that the competition may be tougher than he had first expected. Hermione, he knew, was set on getting a captain's spot, but he had not seen Dean or Seamus duel for quite some time. For that matter, he had not dueled with Ron in ages either. He hoped he was still good enough to best them.

The group of friends continued to chat amiably, and several times throughout the meal students from other houses would come up to meet the newest Professor's son. Roger, Cho, Justin, Hannah, and Padma were among them.

A brief pause in the chatter had occurred when Professors Black and Lupin had entered the hall through the entrance hall rather than through the staff entrance as was usual. The strange part was that they had arrived together and were speaking to one another in a very civilized manner, something thought impossible by most. Students quickly returned to their previous conversations but Harry found himself watching the pair up at the staff table. Professor Black seemed very interested in what Lupin had to say, and that made Harry truly curious as to what it was he was saying, as usually the foul woman sneered at anything to do with the werewolf. That or she shouted.

Finally the meal ended and Harry watched with a mixture of excitement and nerves as nearly every student from every house, third year and up remained behind. He was surprised to see that most of the Professors remained as well, each of them obviously interested to see how their students would fare when pitted against one another.

Very little time went by before Lupin had cleared away the tables and erected the dueling stage. He, Snape and Flitwick now stood on the platform and Snape explained exactly how things would unfold for the evening.

'First of all, I am pleased to see the enthusiasm shown by all of you,' he said in voice that very clearly stated otherwise, making some of the students laugh, but not many. 'Tonight shall be a very informal dueling affair. Every person shall duel three times, and between the three of us,' he indicated Flitwick and Lupin, 'we shall determine what team you shall join. At the end of the evening, once everyone has completed their duels, I will announce the captains and we shall all retire until next meeting. Understood? Good, this will take a while so I suggest we get started. Jenna Appleton and Jared Bruceter,' he called up the first set of third years to the platform and everyone watched them eagerly.

Harry watched the first five duels or so with mild interest, but he soon became bored with them as the third years did not know many advanced spells, making the challenge a mere volley of jelly-legs jinxes, disarming spells, and stunners. Though he was not entirely fascinated by the time the first hour was up, Harry noticed that Dudley was absolutely transfixed by the entire ordeal. The blond boy had been hit by a curse before, but he had never been witness to the workings of a wand, nor had he been privy to such a large spectacle of wizards attacking wizards. It must truly have been amazing to him.

By the time the second hour was half way through, the duels began to become interesting, as the fifth, sixth and seventh years were put against one another in various pairings. Harry was happy to see Ginny Weasley beat Terry Boot with her first curse, and again when Ron defeated Pansy Parkinson. Their duel had lasted far longer, and Harry was slightly bothered to learn Pansy was not nearly as inept as he had assumed her to be.

Crabbe and Goyle on the other hand, once again proved to be completely ham-fisted in each of their duels, one of which was against each other. Harry nearly died laughing when they both hit each other with stunners and fell clear off the ends of the platform with a loud thump. For a moment, Harry thought he had even seen Snape smirking at the scene, but then figured the man was plotting against him for later.

Hermione's first duel proved to be interesting as she was paired with the Head Girl, and after several minutes of heated spell exchange, Katie's wand landed firmly in the bushy-haired girl's outstretched hand. The Head Boy did not fare any better, as he was paired with Blaise Zabini, who once again showed his talents by quickly stripping Roger of his wand.

Malfoy was paired with Ron next, and Harry was upset for his friend when the ferret narrowly beat him after nearly five minutes. Ron fumed as Professor Lupin reversed the mouth-sealing curse and the body bind before returning his wand. Soon after the next duel, Professor Lupin took leave, and most of the students understood why; tonight was a full moon.

Harry was anxious to see if he would once again duel Blaise, or if perhaps Snape would set him with Malfoy straight off. It came to him as a surprise therefore, when his first partner turned out to be Cho. He kicked himself mentally as he got onto the platform, wondering how exactly he could do this without embarrassing her. He was quickly spared from finding an answer as Cho threw a barrage of curses his way that he barely managed to shield against; apparently she had improved over the summer and was not here to lose.

Grinning at her, Harry began throwing some of the spells they had learned during D.A. at her. She returned the grin as she blocked and the pair continued to duel for a while. Eventually Harry decided it had gone on long enough and caught her with a new spell he had learned, turning her upside down and wrapping the sleeves of her cloak around her head before mildly stunning her.

Everyone but the Slytherin's clapped loudly at the demonstration they had put on, and Harry quickly reversed his spells to ensure she was alright. She was a little red in the face when her sleeves were pulled back, but surprisingly, she held out a hand to Harry and gave him a big smile.

'Good duel Harry. You'll have to teach me that one,' she informed him.

'Well that depends,' Harry said with a smirk.

'On what,' she demanded.

'On whether or not you're on my team,' he quipped before dismounting the platform to avoid her swat.

Harry watched the next few duels and smiled when Luna defeated two other fifth years easily. The girl was in her own world most of the time, but apparently they had good training there. Perhaps she practiced with Gnargles he thought to himself with a laugh.

Neville had won two of his duels impressively so far, defeating both the Head Boy and then the Head Girl. Harry decided that the Heads were simply being paired with those of advantage and that they truly were good. After all, they barely lost each time, and they did last a good while before having their wands removed. He watched as Katie and Roger chatted amiably about their defeats, and wondered idly if perhaps the pair would succumb to Hogwarts strong magical history of pairing the Heads for life. More than half of them did end up married.

The evening went on, with Ernie besting Justin, but then Hermione besting Ernie, and then Blaise besting Hannah and Malfoy severely besting Pansy. Harry should not have been surprised that the Slytherins would turn so easily on one another but still shook his head in disgust at Malfoy's victorious sneer.

Three hours had now passed and Harry was still waiting on his second duel. He wondered why Snape had made him wait so long, when all the others had each had two if not three by now. Just as he finished thinking this, Snape made the announcement for him to be paired with Hermione, and suddenly he wished he did not have to duel. He was torn between worrying about hurting his best friend, and worrying that she may beat him out for a captain's spot.

The two nervously got on the platform and bowed before Hermione threw the first curse. If anyone thought that the show put on by Harry and Cho had been anything but, they were now shown what a real duel looked like. Harry did not have the chance to grin at his opponent, as everything he had was being focused into shields and retaliations. The few he did manage to shoot off were immediately reflected and he soon learned that Hermione's strong suit was shielding. Her next best was unfortunately Charms, many of which got past traditional blocking spells and forced him to dance about the stage to avoid them.

Just as he avoided a Fire charm, Hermione sent a blasting curse where she knew he would leap and knocked him clear across the platform. He dropped his wand then, and luckily for him Hermione believed this to mean the duel was over, allowing him to Accio his wand and catch her with a simple disarming charm before she could think to block. Handing his friend back her wand, he could not help but smile apologetically at her, and avoid the stern look she sent at him. He understood that she was not angry with him, but rather with herself at being caught unawares with such a basic spell.

As the pair joined Ron on the ground, they looked up to hear Snape give an announcement.

'I believe that we have gone on for long enough as curfew is nearly upon us, so I will now announce the team captains. I should also inform you all that in light of our shying away from House competition, I have decided to create five teams in lieu of four. This should allow more duels and tighter teams.'

The students were suddenly a buzz of chatter as they discussed the prospect of a fifth team, effectively creating one more captain's spot as well. The other professors looked on more intently now as well, their curious gazes a sure sign that they had not known either.

'Another point to remember will be that once a captain is chosen, anyone may immediately challenge them for their position. After tonight however, the chance is up.'

This news was met with another uproar, each of the students thrilled that they would be present for such a potentially exciting show.

'According to the talents of this and last meeting's duels, the first captain will be Draco Malfoy.

A collective groan filled the hall as the blond hopped onto the platform with a smirk on his lips and a challenging look in his eyes. Harry and apparently everyone else had expected this.

'Does anyone wish to challenge Mister Malfoy?' Snape asked in an almost threatening tone.

Harry fully understood now that this had been Snape's plan: Give Malfoy the spot and then force Harry to beat him for it if he could. He made to step forward but stopped when Blaise Zabini stepped onto the platform first.

'I challenge him sir,' the tall dark-haired boy said.

Snape eyed him oddly for a moment before nodding his consent and stepping off the platform to allow them to duel. Everyone fell silent as they watched the pair of Slytherins eye one another maliciously. They forewent the bows and Malfoy naturally threw the first curse: expelliarmus. Blaise easily blocked and sent his own fire charm, closely followed by the Inverso charm and the Furnunculus in quick succession. Malfoy blocked one of the three and froze the fire before stepping into the Inverso. The duel then continued for the next few minutes with Malfoy firing off curses and hexes from his upside down position. Just as he finally righted himself, Blaise struck him with a variety of the engorgement charm and Harry watched along with the others as the blond blew up to the size of a small car.

Everyone laughed as the blimp named Malfoy growled when Blaise simply walked over to him and plucked the wand from between his chubby fingers. No one, Harry noticed, was laughing harder than Dudley.

'Hey Harry!' he shouted to his cousin. 'It's just like Aunt Marge, do you remember.'

Harry laughed louder then, but sobered quickly when he looked up to see the dark and threatening look his aunt was sending his way.

'Very well,' Snape called out. 'Mr. Zabini is the new first captain. Does anyone challenge?'

Harry considered stepping forward then, but decided that the boy deserved the position, and by leaving him there he would not be challenged by him later on. He remained silent as did everyone else, and a moment later Blaise was officially the first captain.

Ernie Macmillan was made the second captain, and before Harry could step forward to challenge him, Hermione was standing on the stage. Snape consented and by the look on the man's face, Harry got the impression that she would have been selected next anyhow. She made quick work of Ernie and soon the crowd was being asked if she would be challenged. Harry chose once again not to challenge as he knew how badly she wanted to be captain, and honestly feared he may not beat her again today.

Harry looked around the crowd to see if anyone else would challenge and noticed that the now normal sized Malfoy was preparing to get back on the platform, but hesitated. He followed the blond's gaze to Snape and found to his shock that the Professor was discreetly shaking his head. Snape was prompting him. Hermione was officially made the second captain.

'The third captain will be Harry Potter,' Snape's voice surprised him next.

He had not expected to be announced as one and eyed the Professor oddly as he stepped onto the platform, wondering what exactly he was playing at. When asked for challengers, the crowd remained silent and Harry once again watched Snape signal for Malfoy to stay at bay. He was quickly made third captain and then Justin was announced as the fourth.

Malfoy was once again silently held back, but that did not prevent the many others who wished to challenge. First was Ginny, who just barely bested him to take the spot. Unfortunately she was challenged by Cho who in a stroke of luck bested her in turn. Just as Snape was about to finalize the position, Luna stepped on stage and raised her wand.

It appeared that Snape would object to the challenge at first, but Flitwick quickly tugged at his robes to pull him away so that the fifth and seventh year Ravenclaws might have their duel. Cho shot the first curse, and then the second and the third. Luna finally sent her first counter after nearly five whole minutes of one shield charm. Harry watched in awe as the small girl deflected Cho's advanced spells with the same glowing blue shield that he had never before seen. Normal shielding lasted a minute at best, and this was something special; Harry could tell by the look of admiration Hermione sent her way. Cho was running out of curses when finally the shield dropped and Luna leapt forward to dodge a stunner and hit her opponent with a blaster, before quickly levitating her so that she landed softly.

Harry could see Flitwick and Snape discussing the duel, and was unsurprised when Luna was declared the fourth captain without another challenge. The last captain was announced next, and this certainly did surprise Harry.

'Collin Creevey,' Snape repeated, and when the short boy got on stage, Harry realised that he had won all three of his duels.

Harry watched next as Malfoy stepped on to challenge, and understood then that Snape had simply made him wait for an opponent that he could surely best. Unfortunately for Collin, who was admittedly an amazing duelist, he unlike Malfoy, did not dabble in the dark arts and was not prepared for many of the curses sent his way. It was clear from the crowd's reaction that they disapproved of Malfoy's tactics, but before too much noise filled the hall, Snape began to declare him the fifth captain.

Everyone fell silent however, when Neville stepped on stage to interrupt the Potions Master. Snape did indeed stop, and for a moment he eyed Neville with surprise, before smirking softly and nodding his consent. Harry also noticed the tiniest of nods he shared with Malfoy.

The instant Neville had bowed, a beam of red light shot from Malfoy's wand and Harry immediately recognized it to be the curse that had knocked his Godfather through the veil that past summer. His anger rose as Neville easily deflected it and grinned at his opponent before sending a bright blue jet back at him. Malfoy grunted when he had to dodge the curse because it sliced right through his shield. In retaliation he sent a string of curses Harry had never heard of, but the disapproving looks on McGonagall and Flitwick's faces said it all.

Neville expertly dodged the curses, and several noises from the crowd told Harry that they, just like him, were impressed by Neville's oddly found dexterity. Neville fired off a few more charms, and then a hex that once again slid through Malfoy's shield, this time bright yellow in colour. Malfoy finally decided he had had enough dodging so he sent off another chain of hexes, this time anticipating Neville's pattern and coaxing him into the line of a particularly nasty curse. The effect seemed similar to a hover charm, only this one had Neville suspended in the air and grabbing at his throat where it soon became evident that he could not breathe.

Hermione grabbed hold of Harry's and Ron's arms for support as she stared worriedly at their friend. Neville glared hard at Malfoy, who sauntered slowly down the platform toward him, probably intending to grab his wand. McGonagall looked slightly worried for Neville, along with several others, and Snape seemed pleased with this show. Dumbledore on the other hand was watching the event with rapt interest now, leaning forward in his conjured armchair for a better look.

Just as Malfoy stepped in front of Neville, the smirk left his face and everyone else noticed that Neville was no longer gasping for breath, but bearing a smirk of his own. Before Malfoy could react, Neville had lifted his wand and slashed it down forcefully with a shout of 'Morsus Minoris!'

Everyone in the room either gasped or shouted, students and teachers alike, but this was muffled by the shouts of pain that rose from the blond Slytherin rolling on the ground in pain. The moment the boy dropped his wand Neville released the spell and stepped back to his place on his side of the platform.

'Mister Longbottom, that curse is not acceptable and Gryffindor will lose 20 points for that,' McGonagall said sternly from her place next to the Headmaster.

'Actually Minerva,' Dumbledore commented, 'though that is not a very pleasant curse, I do believe Professor Black taught it to her sixth years, and that Mister Malfoy in fact employed it on Mister Potter. If that is the case, then I feel I must allow it. Far be it for me to disallow anything our professors have taught the students.'

McGonagall looked sharply at the Headmaster and then over to Professor Black who was staring indifferently back at her. Harry could tell that had she not wanted to needle Professor Black, McGonagall certainly would have contested the issue.

'Very well,' Dumbledore rose. 'You have your captains. Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. Professor Snape will post the team lists in the entrance hall tomorrow morning I believe.'

Snape nodded, still eyeing Neville peculiarly, and the Headmaster went on to dismiss them all.

'Do go straight to your dorms as it is now passed curfew for many of you,' McGonagall added briskly.

The students made their way back to their dorms chatting excitedly about all they had witnessed, though Harry remained behind, figuring he best walk with McGonagall to avoid running into Snape tonight. The Potions Master was in a right state after losing his star captain's spot to Neville, and then having the Headmaster condone the use of a pain curse simply to exact justice for what had happened in Professor Black's class; Harry was sure he would pay for that later, twice.

Once all of the students had cleared out, and after receiving congratulations from many of the staff, Harry followed his Transfiguration professor up to her office, hoping that he could still perform the transformation after all these weeks. Once inside, McGonagall took her seat and dropped the stern look she had been wearing since Neville had cast his curse, and smiled softly.

'Now Harry, I realise it has been a while since we last met, but let me assure you that with the progress you had been making before your trip,' she worded it carefully and Harry tried not to grin, 'you should have no problem taking it up again.'

'Actually Professor,' he said with confidence, 'I've completed the transformation. I continued while I was away, and I actually needed to use the form on a couple of occasions. There's nothing like necessity to bring about results,' he quipped when he saw her look of surprise.

'Oh, well then let's see it,' she said as though he should have transformed by now.

'All right, but forgive me if I'm a tad rusty. It's been a few weeks,' he explained as he stood.

Closing his eyes, he envisioned his body as it appeared in its other state and willed himself to change. He could feel his bones and muscles growing and shifting as he fell forward, but this time he felt a very unfamiliar pain on his shoulder where he had been bitten by Fudge, and again on the other side as well.

He opened his eyes when he felt the pain ebb away and found that he was looking down at his Professor, who in turn was staring up wide-eyed and slack-jawed for the first time he could recount. He took a step back then and as he looked down at his legs he discovered that they were significantly smaller than before. Where he had been a magnificently large Mustang before, he felt more like a medium-sized one at best. He also felt an odd irritation behind his shoulders where the pain had earlier stemmed. Deciding that was enough he closed his eyes and willed himself to change back.

'I'm sorry Professor, but I'm not sure what happened there. I was a great Mustang before and now I seem to have shrunk significantly,' he said in way of excuse before she held up a hand to quiet him.

'Do you know what you've done Harry?' she nearly cried. 'Magical beasts rarely ever appear in Animagus form, as I already told you. When did you intend to inform me of this?' she suddenly flipped back to her stern façade, greatly confusing her student. 'Not to mention your transforming without a wand. How long have you been performing wandless magic?' she enquired with narrowed eyes.

'What do you mean?' Harry spluttered. 'I've only ever transformed this way, and I used wandless magic once before to Accio my broom during a Quidditch match, and then just earlier during my duel with Hermione to fetch my wand. What do you mean magical beast Professor? A Mustang is hardly magical.'

'No, but Mustang's do not have wings either now do they?' she responded evenly, causing Harry's eyes to widen. 'I believe if you were to ask Hagrid, he would tell you that you are a rather rare creature Harry: a Midnight Pegasus. There have only ever been twelve recorded in history, as all others are white and don't have the feathered tail of a phoenix. I'm not sure how you have managed to change forms, but it is indeed an interesting development,' she went on. 'Have you done anything differently between transformations? Tell me about them.'

'Not really Professor. I basically just transformed to keep Remus company in the past, and then to save my mother and I from-' his eyebrows shot upward. 'That's it! I was bitten by a werewolf during the blue moon in my Mustang form. That must have triggered the change,' he said with certainty.

'Well, there's really no way to prove that,' McGonagall said with thin lips, looking very pale and disconcerted at hearing that he was bitten by a werewolf, 'though it does seem the most likely explanation. Alright then, you will continue to train with me and we will teach you to fly. This is a useful turn of events I daresay, useful indeed.'

Harry ambled slowly through the corridors on his way back to the dorms. He did not want to rush back as he had too many thoughts rushing through his head to get to sleep at the moment. He lingered in each hallway, talking to the occasional portrait and not really caring if he ran into anyone. Even Snape could not bother him now.

He was a bloody winged horse, and a rare one at that. He was a magical creature now, and one that could fly. Not only that, but he was even closer in size and form now to what his father had been, something that brought Harry more joy than he would have expected.

Taking a turn near the Entrance hall, Harry stopped suddenly at seeing a figure emerge from the dungeons and head toward the door. He recognized the calculated walk and the cloak instantly as Professor Black's and remembered now having seen her sneak back into the castle on another occasion. Where exactly was she skulking off to, and why in the dark after curfew?

Deciding he should follow her, hopefully to prove once and for all that she was a Death Eater, Harry waited until she closed the door behind her and then rushed across the silent hall to the doors. Unfortunately he made a little too much noise in his haste and a voice from behind called him out.

'You! Stop where you are.'

He turned to find Blaise Zabini walking purposefully toward him, and before he could say anything Ron came rushing up from the side corridor, panting out of breath.

'We're supposed to stay together- Harry?' he stopped next to Blaise and looked at his best friend. 'What are you doing down here? It's past curfew.'

'I know, but I have to go,' he insisted. 'What's he doing here?' Harry indicated Blaise and gave Ron a look that said get rid of him quick.

'I'm performing my duties Potter, just like Weasley. I'll have to report this to Filch I think,' he said matter-of-factly in response.

'Since when are you a Prefect?' Harry asked next, looking down and noticing the shiny green badge on the boy's robes for the first time.

'Since Dumbledore elected me at the beginning of the year,' he answered coldly, and with a hint of challenge.

'He and Pansy were elected to replace Malfoy and Bullstrode after the Inquisitorial incident last year,' Ron clarified for him.

'What!' Harry shouted. 'Malfoy got de-Prefected and you didn't feel it important enough to tell me? This is too great for words,' he grinned maniacally.

'Yes, well,' Blaise interrupted him with narrowed eyes. 'What are you doing out here, Potter?'

Remembering he was following Black, Harry told the Prefects that he was going out to catch a Death Eater, and at Blaise's doubtful look, he shrugged and insisted it was the truth.

'Whatever Potter,' the dark, sleek-haired boy rolled his eyes. 'I'll let it go this time because Weasley's here, but if I catch you out past curfew again, Filch'll hear about it. I'm going to trade off with Pansy now Weasley,' he offered Ron as a goodnight before turning around and disappearing down the Dungeon staircase.

'Quick, let's go,' Harry whispered to Ron the instant Blaise was gone. 'We've probably already lost her.'

'Lost who?' the redhead inquired

'Black,' Harry whispered forcefully before pushing open the great door and slipping out into the night.

'You realise this is mad right, Harry?' Ron whispered as the pair made their way across the dark and silent grounds. 'Even if we found her, then what? We couldn't stop her, and chances are she would be with others of her kind,' he referred to Voldemort's other followers.

'We've lost her anyhow,' Harry responded rather harshly, upset that his one chance to prove Black's guilt was foiled by Ron and Blaise Zabini. 'I wanted to prove it so bad Ron,' he admitted as they turned back toward the castle.

Both boys turned back the other way when they heard a pain-filled howl from the distance. Staring off toward the Shrieking Shack, Harry recalled that Remus would be in there now, but wondered about the howl as he would have taken his Wolfsbane and kept his sanity. He would not usually even use the Shack anymore.

'I think we should check on Remus Ron,' he voiced his concern and turned back toward the forest. 'Does it seem odd to you that he would stay in the Shack when he's been using his quarters all year?'

Ron nodded his approval, though Harry could tell he was wary about entering the Shrieking Shack. The last time Ron had used the tunnel under the Whomping Willow, he had been dragged through it by Padfoot, after the dog Animagus had mangled his leg.

Harry used a discarded branch to poke the knot and immobilize the willow's violently thrashing branches before both boys hopped down into the passageway and started the steady climb to the Shrieking Shack. Every twenty meters or so another howl would pierce the silent air, and Harry could see Ron visibly shaking as they got nearer. He forgot how uncomfortable werewolves made Ron ever since third year, and laughed as he imagined what Ron would have done were he in the past with him when Fudge attacked.

Strange noises became apparent the closer they got, and when they were just outside the entrance to the Shack, Harry was certain he could hear two distinct growling noises. Flipping the trapdoor open, Harry and Ron both peered inside to find not one, but two werewolves pacing the room angrily, one of them definitely Remus, but the other one Harry did not recognize. He was certain it was not Fudge for he would never forget that werewolf, and other than that he didn't know of any others.

Remus appeared to be his usual sane self, but the other werewolf looked to be wildly dangerous, and angry. It let out another ear-scraping howl before baring its teeth and lunging at Remus, all of its claws grasping for the Professor's flesh. Harry watched in horror as the Marauder was attacked by another werewolf, and watched the blood trickle down his chest from the many fresh wounds.

'Ron, we have to help him!' Harry whispered harshly. He was certain that both wolves had smelled them by now, but were both completely consumed by their own grapple. 'Do you know the Homorphus charm?' Harry asked his friend and received a dumb nod as the redhead continued to watch the growling beasts wrestle on the rotting wood floor.

'You could hurt Remus though,' he said suddenly, as though just remembering the power of the spell. 'If he's too weak, he could be sick for a long time,' Ron offered.

'We're aiming for the other one,' Harry explained testily. 'I don't want to hurt anyone, but if draining a bit of magic temporarily is what will save out Professor, I think we should do it.

Ron nodded.

'On three then,' Harry said, and then both boys stood up straight into the room. 'One, two, three.'

'Homorphus!' they both shouted loudly, pointing their wands at the darker of the two werewolves.

The next moment was one of the most shocking of the year, as Harry and Ron both rushed across the room, passed their now whimpering professor to the figure they had just temporarily drained. Grabbing the boy's shoulder, Harry rolled him over and gasped when he looked into Marc's blue-grey eyes.


End file.
